Is Lionel Messi playing for Inter Miami against New England Revolution tomorrow?

Lionel Messi is expected to start when Inter Miami travel to face New England Revolution in Major League Soccer (MLS) on Saturday, April 27. The Herons will want to build on their convincing 3-1 victory over Nashville SC last time around.

Messi has finally returned to full match fitness following his recent muscular injury. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has now played the full 90 minutes in two consecutive league matches, including against Nashville where he scored a brace.

Inter Miami manager Gerardo Martino in his recent press conference has indirectly implied that all fit players are available for selection. This includes the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, whose availability was a question mark due to the artificial pitch at the Gillette Stadium. Martino was quoted as saying the following (via GOAL):

“The players are all available, and those who are healthy will travel. We will see the formation to face the New England Revolution a little later. We previously played on artificial turf at Charlotte last year, and had no problem.”

Messi will therefore be expected to start and lead Inter Miami's attack against New England Revolution on Saturday. The Argentina skipper could be partnered alongside the aforementioned Suarez and Diego Gomez.

According to USA Today, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are expected to play in front of nearly 64,000 fans at the Gillette Stadium in the state of Massachusetts. This is the first time the Argentine will be playing against the New England Revolution.

As things stand, Inter Miami are at the top of the Eastern Conference in the MLS. They have picked up 18 points from their opening 10 matches and are two points clear of New York Red Bulls who do have a game in hand.

New England Revolution, on the other hand, are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference having picked up just four points from eight games. They come into the game on the back of two consecutive away defeats in the league.

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Lionel Messi has made an incredible start to the 2024 MLS season with Inter Miami

Lionel Messi is currently playing in his first full season in the United States. Despite missing a few games due to injury, the former Barcelona superstar has made an excellent start to the 2024 season.

As things stand, Messi has contributed nine goals and five assists from nine matches across all competitions. This includes a tally of seven goals and three assists from six games in the MLS.

In the six matches that he has played in the league, Lionel Messi has only gone one game without getting on the scoresheet. This was in the opening game of the new season against Real Salt Lake.

Since then, he has netted a goal against LA Galaxy, Colorado Rapids, and Kansas City. He has scored two braces against Orlando City and most recently against Nashville.