Will Lionel Messi Play Today? Updates on Inter Miami Star’s Availability for El Salvador Preseason Friendly

Inter Miami kicks off their 2024 global preseason tour with a friendly against El Salvador in the Caribbean nation this Saturday. The extensive preseason itinerary includes travel to locations such as El Salvador, Hong Kong, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, concluding domestically in Dallas.

Messi, along with other Inter Miami stars like new signing Luis Suarez, is part of the squad for the preseason tour after a two-month break. Despite his brilliant performances last season, an injury towards the end raised concerns about his fitness for a demanding fixture schedule. As Messi approaches his first full season with Inter Miami, there will be discussions about managing his minutes to ensure peak fitness for crucial matches.

Fans can catch the live stream of the friendly against El Salvador for free, with English coverage on MLSSoccer.com and Spanish coverage on MLSes.com.

Will Lionel Messi play for Inter Miami in friendly vs El Salvador?

Lionel Messi is included in the Inter Miami squad for the friendly against El Salvador on Saturday, but it’s highly unlikely that he will start the match. Coming off their offseason break, Messi and his teammates are expected to be gradually introduced into full-match action, with a probable scenario of them coming off the bench to kick off the preseason schedule.

The same approach is likely for other experienced players like Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and new signing Luis Suarez. Inter Miami manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino emphasized the responsibility of ensuring the team remains competitive even when key stars might not be on the field.

Inter Miami squad for El Salvador friendly

All of Inter Miami’s key players are officially part of the squad for the friendly against El Salvador, but they’ll require time to reach full match fitness after nearly two months off.

Notably, first-choice goalkeeper Drake Callender is absent as he participates in the USMNT January camp, potentially starting in the friendly against Slovenia on Saturday. Another absentee is the club’s recent offseason signing, defender Nico Freire, who joined from Brazilian club Palmeiras just days ago, making it too soon for him to travel with the rest of the team.