Why aren’t Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul playing for Inter Miami vs. Independiente del Valle?
Inter Miami are set to face Independiente del Valle on Thursday in a postponed preseason friendly in Puerto Rico, a match that generated major anticipation among fans on the island. However, eyebrows were raised when Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul were nowhere to be seen in the Herons’ starting lineup.
Messi and De Paul won’t start against Independiente del Valle due to a technical decision. Inter Miami’s head coach opted for heavy rotation for the friendly in Puerto Rico, leaving both Argentina stars on the bench.
The decision was also made with consideration for how close the friendly is within the team’s tight schedule. Inter Miami played their MLS opener against LAFC on Saturday, leaving only four days of rest before today’s friendly, in addition to the travel demands of the trip to Puerto Rico.
The team will also have its next MLS game away next Sunday, March 1, against Orlando City in the Florida derby, meaning just 72 hours between today’s friendly and their next match. In this situation, and with Messi still not at his best after recovering from a muscle strain, Mascherano has decided to keep the star on the bench for now.
Still, Puerto Rican fans are eager to see Messi on the pitch, who’s likely to jump in for the second half. Even when arriving to the stadium, the Inter Miami star had a warm reception from local fans, showcasing how important it is his presence in the game.
Huge squad rotation in Inter Miami
Compared to the starting lineup in the MLS debut against LAFC, head coach Mascherano has made 9 substitutions, with only Ian Fray and Yannick Bright as the ones who survived the cut for Thursday’s friendly. During the pre-match press conference early today, the Argentine boss addressed his plan of rotating the squad to give minutes to players who have seen limited action so far.
“The match gives us the opportunity to give minutes to guys who perhaps haven’t seen as much action, both during the preseason and in our last league match. We’re going to try to get everyone on the pitch,” he stated. “We need to get minutes for the entire squad, while also being careful since we have a very important match against Orlando in just 72 hours,” he added.