Lionel Messi’s teammate at Inter Miami, Julian Gressel, has shared that the team is uncertain about the length of Messi’s absence, as details about his recovery are not being disclosed to them, Soccernet.football reports.
Messi’s return date remains a mystery, and Gressel expressed his hope that the Argentine star won’t be sidelined for “a month or two.”
The uncertainty stems from an ankle sprain Messi suffered during the Copa America final, which caused him to miss several games for Inter Miami.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner injured his ankle during the Copa America final while playing for Argentina, an incident that left him emotional as he received the 45th trophy of his illustrious career.
Since returning to Inter Miami, Messi has been kept off the pitch due to fitness concerns, missing out on the MLS All-Star Game. There are also doubts about his participation in the upcoming Leagues Cup matches.
Gressel mentioned that even as a teammate, he doesn’t have much information about Messi’s recovery. He stated on the Player/Manager podcast as per Football365: “It looked serious, and the way he’s walking doesn’t look great, but he’s trying to protect it, that’s why he’s wearing the boot and trying to minimize the movement to heal those ligaments.
“Honestly, I don’t have a return date, I don’t have a lot of information, there’s a lot of hiding from us, even from us teammates, about what’s really going on. So hopefully he’ll be back soon and not in a month or two and it’ll be quicker than that.”
Inter Miami is being cautious with Messi’s recovery, prioritising his full fitness to ensure he is in top form for the end of the season, which could potentially lead to a historic MLS Cup victory.