The two biggest names on the Inter Miami roster are already with their respective national teams as the Herons face the MLS without them.
The MLS will not be pausing during the upcoming Copa América and the Olympics, which means Inter Miami faces the challenging task of managing its roster to compete effectively, despite the absence of several key players called up for international duty, including notable figures like Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi.
Messi and Súarez on Copa América duty
‘El Pistolero’, as he’s known, joined Marcelo Bielsa’s group on Sunday 9 June. Suárez is set to compete in his third Copa América, having previously tasted victory in 2011. Luis expressed his delight at being selected, sharing his excitement: “As always, with the hope and passion it brings. Let’s go Uruguay, let’s go,” the striker stated in a post shared by the national team.
Messi is already with La Scaloneta, getting involved in preparations for the tournament. Following a match against Ecuador in Chicago, Argentina will return to Miami, where they will stay until 13 June before heading to Washington for their final friendly against Guatemala. Given that the final of the competition is not until 15 July, the players could be away for some time.
The Herons are gearing up for their next match against Philadelphia, currently ranked eighth in the Western Conference. Martino will need to make the most of the players available to him to secure three points and maintain their edge over other teams.
Martino prepares without Messi and Suárez
Inter continue training without their two star players as they prepare for their visit to Philadelphia, at Subaru Park on Saturday, 15 June at 18:30 ET, aiming to stay top of the Eastern Conference.
The coach has expressed his frustration over the shortage of players the team will have and has called for a review of the MLS calendar. He advocates for a fairer schedule that takes into account these kinds of tournaments, during which teams have to do without their key players to compete in domestic league matches.
