Javier Mascherano confirms Lionel Messi's fitness in front of Atlanta United Match

The head coach of Inter Miami, Javier Mascherano, has confirmed that the club successfully led Lionel Messi's workload to prevent an injury, and ensure that the Argentine star remains in top condition on Sunday evening in the Mercedes-Benz stage before the upcoming game against Atlanta United.

After a demanding start to the 2025 season – the three games played within seven days, Mascherano killed a strategic rest period for Messi, which means that it fails for three consecutive games.

The striker missed the starters against Houston Dynamo, Cavalier FC and Charlotte FC as part of a load management plan before returning to Cavalier FC on Thursday evening in the second board of the Concacaf Champions Cup round.

“There were some voices that said we would take a risk, but we had planned it. The idea was that he played 30-35 minutes in Jamaica to have good feelings again. In the end we could find the time to do it well, ”said Mascherano.

“We tried to remove the overload that Messi had so that it would not go on. We tried to deal best. “

“Fortunately, we could control it and that it did not become an injury or much more. Today he is better and we have decided to give him minutes. There is no secret in it. “