Lionel Messi finally returned to Inter Miami's squad to face Charlotte at the weekend, but for the third consecutive match, the Argentine did not play.
Following Inter Miami's grueling preseason tour throughout the Americas, the Herons went straight into Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS action. Javier Mascherano's men played three matches in six days to close out February before playing another three matches in the first week of March.
Messi, whose fitness continues to be closely monitored by Inter Miami, missed the club's matches against Houston Dynamo and Cavalier. Mascherano insisted the 37-year-old was not injured, though, and just sitting out as a precaution.
Sign-up to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV using this link here
Messi finally returned to Inter Miami's bench on Sunday for the Herons' clash with Charlotte, but he did not make an appearance.
JOIN SI SOCCER'S INTER MIAMI WHATSAPP COMMUNITY - GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE
Why Didn't Lionel Messi Play for Inter Miami vs. Charlotte?
Mascherano revealed Messi did not play against Charlotte because goalkeeper Oscar Ustari's early red card changed the course of the match for Inter Miami. The head coach confirmed throwing the 37-year-old into a game where the Herons were down a man for over 52 minutes was too big of a risk.
"The reality is that in the case of Leo maybe we had thought about giving him minutes in the game," Mascherano said following Inter Miami's 1–0 victory over Charlotte. "But since the game was played with one man less, and taking into consideration the time he has without playing, we thought that the best thing was to preserve it. We didn't want to risk it."
Messi last played against Sporting Kansas City in Round One of the Concacaf Champions Cup on Feb. 25. The Argentine logged 69 minutes and scored his second goal of the competition. He then missed the Herons' next three matches.
Still, it is good news for Inter Miami that Messi returned to the Herons' squad at the weekend, even if he did not play. Had the game gone differently, perhaps the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner would have made an appearance at Chase Stadium. Instead, Mascherano opted for more defensive-minded substitutions, like Ian Fray and David Martínez.
Messi's next opportunity to play comes on Thursday, Mar. 13 against Cavalier in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16.
READ THE LATEST INTER MIAMI NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Didn't Lionel Messi Play for Inter Miami vs. Charlotte?.
