"He felt comfortable" - Tata Martino lauds Lionel Messi for successful injury return for Inter Miami 

Inter Miami manager Tata Martino has praised Lionel Messi for making his comeback from injury in the club's recent draw against Colorado Rapids. The Argentine scored to level things up for his MLS side at home, with Leandro Afonso making it 2-1 for them three minutes later.

However, Inter Miami could not maintain their lead until the end, as Cole Bassett scored minutes before full time to seal a 2-2 draw. Speaking to the media about Messi's return, Martino said:

"It's the usual from Leo, what he provokes in our team, in his teammates, in people. And the most important thing is that he felt comfortable, he felt good, he felt loose."

When quizzed about the result, the manager admitted that it was two points dropped for his side. He said:

"That's why it's a shame to drop two points. But I think we keep making mistakes that are making us lose points along the way."

The focus now shifts to the CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Monterrey. Inter Miami need to overcome a 2-1 loss from the first leg, but Messi's return allows them to regain some confidence. Martino added:

"This helps our confidence, especially considering his injury, for the second leg in Monterrey."

When asked if the Argentine will start the match, the manager confirmed his plans and said:

"That's the idea, but he just played 45 minutes and we understand the demands of the game that's coming. The most important thing is that he returned, he felt good, he scored a goal and participated in the second. I think that's what's most noteworthy."

Lionel Messi was dealing with a hamstring injury and missed the international friendlies with Argentina as well in March.

Why did Lionel Messi skip Monterrey loss despite training?

Tata Martino admitted that Lionel Messi was back in training, but he was not ready to play against Monterrey. He added that the plan was to make the comeback against Colorado Rapids in the MLS.

He said after the loss to the Liga MX side last week:

"It's one match at a time. We understood that this was not the match for him to be in, he was not ready. That's how it will be against Colorado (Rapids), that's how it will be with the return leg in Monterrey, but he's feeling better every day, it's just that today we were taking too big a risk."

Lionel Messi has scored four goals in as many MLS matches this season.