MIAMI.- Returning home after the controversial Asian tour of Inter Miami, Lionel Messi On Thursday he will close a circle in his legendary career by playing a friendly against Newell’s Old Boys, the team of his dreams in Argentina.
Messi’s meeting with the club he played for as a child will put an end to Inter’s preparation for the next North American League (MLS) campaign, which will start in Miami on February 21.
Gerardo Martino, coach of the American team, announced that Messi will start against the squad from his native Rosario and assured that the star did not suffer any major injuries during his Asian tour.
“Leo had an inflammation in the adductor in the match against the first Arab team (Al-Hilal). He did not have an injury that warranted stopping him or any special treatment. We went day by day,” explained ‘Tata’ Martino in a conference press.
“That’s why he played ten minutes in the second game, that’s why he couldn’t play in Hong Kong and that’s why he played a little more time in Japan,” he recalled. “If everything continues like this it will be very good at the beginning of the championship, which is what we want.”
On Thursday, Inter wants to forget the disappointments of a preseason that, in addition to the physical problems of Messi and his new partner Luis Suárez, left a string of defeats and even conflicts with fans and authorities abroad.
Tight schedule for Messi:
At 36 years old, Messi faces his first full season in the MLS with the challenge of staying healthy throughout a calendar packed with tournaments, which includes the fight with his team in the Copa América and perhaps the cherry on top of the Olympic Games. Paris.
Before starting this marathon, Messi will experience one of the most special duels of his career against Newell’s, the squad of which he has been a fan since he was a child.
Source: AFP
