Inter Miami is contractually obligated to field their "top players" in specific matches, according to Tata Martino, providing a positive development for Lionel Messi enthusiasts.
Inter Miami is gearing up for the upcoming 2024 MLS season, making additional moves in the transfer market. Seasoned striker Luis Suarez joined their roster of former Barcelona legends, and Julian Gressel, a star from the USMNT, has been secured as a free agent.
Martino is currently formulating plans for a series of friendly fixtures, assuring fans eager to see Messi in action that, if he is in good condition, he will feature in some of these matches.
“The idea is for this pre-season to begin with the entire squad. Afterwards we will see how they are physically, if they will be there or not. But we understand that the contractual part requires the presence of our best players,” Inter Miami’s Argentine head coach has said.
Inter Miami's pre-season schedule is packed, featuring matches against El Salvador, FC Dallas, Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, a Hong Kong Select XI, Vissel Kobe, and Newell’s Old Boys.
Martino commented on managing the workload saying too many matches in a short time period require proper management of the players.
“We understand the business and sporting sides and the good thing is that we try for both sides to occur and happen without exceeding on one end or the other. If we do have more games, then what we have to do is balance how much each player participates in each one of them.
"When it comes to the trips to Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Japan, those have been well organized because it's been worked on since the end of last year. We're not concerned about the number of games.”
Of particular interest is the clash between Messi and his perennial rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Riyadh Cup on February 1. Following this fixture, Inter Miami is set to kick off the new MLS season at home against Real Salt Lake on February 21.