Lionel Messi: Muscle fatigue will prevent star forward from being rushed back, feels Martino

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is suffering from "muscle fatigue" and will not be rushed back, Inter Miami coach Gerardo ‘Tata' Martino said on Saturday after his team's playoff hopes suffered a blow with a 5-2 thrashing at Atlanta United.

Messi and his former Barcelona team-mate Jordi Alba both sat out the game with Martino saying it would have been "very reckless" for the Argentine to play in Atlanta.

Martino said that his focus was on having his team ready for the September 27th final of the US Open Cup when Miami host Houston as they look for their second trophy of the season.

Atlanta is among five MLS stadiums with artificial turf surfaces. Messi and defender Jordi Alba did not dress for Atlanta United's 5-2 win. Inter Miami coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino said the decision to hold out Messi was "because he has muscular fatigue and it was prudent to leave him."

Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank said he believes the FieldTurf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a surface viewed by some players as more taxing on their bodies than grass, was not the reason Messi remained in Miami.

Blank referred to Messi's statement after signing with Inter Miami that he wouldn't avoid playing on an artificial surface.

"I think he made that decision," Blank said..

"I don't really have an opinion on that. I'd just repeat what he said in his press conference, that he has competed on artificial turf since he was a youngster and to some extent as a professional. I don't think it had anything to do with his decision. I think he suffered some sort of injury, however minor it might be."

Atlanta United coach Gonzalo Pineda said he learned about Messi's decision on social media.

"I checked the Twitter account to know he was not coming," Pineda said, adding he encouraged his players to remain focused despite the attention given Messi's status.

"Honestly, I told the players, there are a lot of things out there in the atmosphere and everything seems to be about Inter Miami. We have to turn that to about us."

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"They will train tomorrow [Sunday] and we will see day by day. Nothing changes our outlook on how he [Messi] will train. We have no urgency," said the former Barcelona and Argentina coach.

Miami face Toronto, the only team below them in the Eastern Conference, at home in MLS action on Wednesday.

"If he is well and confident he can get to play and if this doesn't happen he will wait a few more days," Martino said. Miami's loss was their first in 12 games in all competitions since Messi and Spanish pair Alba and Sergio Busquets joined the team in July.

(With agency inputs)