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Fans were left furious after Lionel Messi was not named in Inter Miami's starting XI for their friendly against J1 League club Vissel Kobe on Wednesday (February 7).
The Herons play the Japanese club at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. Messi is not a part of the first XI as the Argentina captain has only made the bench.
Messi last started on January 29 against Al-Hilal in the Riyadh Season Cup, which the SPL side won 4-3. Messi felt discomfort during the game and has since undergone an MRI. He only made a substitute appearance during the 6-0 loss against Al-Nassr.
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The 2023 Ballon d'Or winner was an unused substitute during the 4-1 friendly win against Hong Kong XI and hasn't started the Vissel Kobe clash either.
Drake Callender starts in goal for Tata Martino's team. DeAndre Yedlin, Tomas Aviles, Noah Allen, and Jordi Alba are the four defenders while David Ruiz and Gregore start in the midfield alongside Sergio Busquets.
Luis Suarez leads the attack while Julian Gressel and Robert Taylor partner the Uruguayan in Lionel Messi's absence. Fans, though, are unhappy about Messi missing the clash, with one writing on X:
"Waste of time to see match."
Another commented:
"No Messi again. No watching. And stop scamming people who comes to watch Messi. Refund the last people."
Here are some more reactions after Inter Miami didn't field Messi against Vissel Kobe:
Lionel Messi's injury update ahead of Inter Miami vs. Vissel Kobe
Lionel Messi gave the media an update on his fitness status ahead of Inter Miami's showdown against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo.
While the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner said he felt better, he claimed his participation depended on his progress in training. Messi said (via Hindustan Times):
"The truth is that I feel very good compared to a few days ago. And depending on how that [training] goes. And if I'm honest, I still don't know if I will be able to or not. But I feel much better and I really want to be able to do it.”
The game between Inter Miami and Vissel Kobe has already started and the match is still goalless. Whether Lionel Messi makes a substitute appearance remains to be seen.
