Messi in top form, but Inter Miami faces Columbus Crew on Saturday with depleted roster
Inter Miami, eager to build on a midweek victory and head into June on a high note after a miserable May, will be forced to play with a depleted roster against perennial power Columbus Crew at Chase Stadium on Saturday.
In addition to the loss of defensive midfielder Yannick Bright, who is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury, Miami lost left back Jordi Alba and center backs Gonzalo Lujan and Tomas 'Toto' Aviles to injury during Wednesday's 4-2 win against Montreal.
Alba and Lujan have unspecified leg muscle injuries and Aviles hurt his ankle. Coach Javier Mascherano said there is no timetable for their return.
The team is off for FIFA break after Saturday's game and returns to action June 14 for the opening match of the Club World Cup against Egyptian team Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami's defense has been shaky of late, giving up 15 goals over the past five games, so the loss of those four players is particularly costly. Maxi Falcon and David Martinez, who finished the game at center back on Wednesday, are likely starters with Ian Fray at right back and Noah Allen on the left.
'Clearly, we have a very long list of injuries,' Mascherano said Friday. 'I would love to have a crystal ball to know when they'll be back. For sure they cannot play this weekend. Then we have two weeks, and, although I am not a doctor, we think a few of them can recover by then. And then, we hope the players who are leaving for national team duty come back healthy, as well.'
Lionel Messi was called up by Argentina for World Cup qualifiers against Chile on June 5 and Colombia on June 10. Telasco Segovia was called up by Venezuela for World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia on June 6 and Uruguay on June 10. Haiti invited Fafa Picault for World Cup qualifiers against Aruba on June 7 and Curacao on June 10.
Benja Cremaschi will be with the U.S. Under-20 national team in Egypt for a camp and friendlies against Colombia on June 7 and Egypt on June 10.
But first, it has a difficult game on Saturday against the Crew (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). Columbus last year won the Leagues Cup, reached the final of the Champions Cup, and like Miami, fell short in the playoffs.
Also, like Miami, the Crew is in a bit of a slump, heading into this game on a five-game winless streak with four ties and a loss. Columbus is in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 28 points. Inter Miami is in sixth place with 26 points and has a game in hand on the top nine teams in the conference.
A victory Saturday would allow Miami to leapfrog the Crew in the standings.
'We want to play a good game Saturday, reinforce what we did against Montreal and improve in the areas we need to improve,' Mascherano said. 'We know we are facing, in my opinion, the best team in MLS, without a doubt. They have a coach who has a very clear style and does it very well. It is important for us to neutralize them and not let them play their game and control the game and win it.'
Miami beat Columbus 1-0 on the road April 10 on a goal by Cremaschi.
The Crew plays a possession-style attack, as does Miami, and is getting adjusted to playing without Cucho Hernandez, who left for Spanish club Real Betis. Daniel Gazdag, a designated player who joined Columbus from Philadelphia, remains scoreless through his first eight games with the Crew and has no assists.
Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari signed a contract extension through 2026 on Thursday. The 38-year-old Argentine is a locker room leader and
'I see the stats floating around and what people are saying,' Ustari said. 'But if you really calculate, our situation is not that bad. It's true when you have Messi on your team, the expectations are going to be extremely high. But we have done a lot of things very well. There is more that we've done well than what we haven't. Yes, we have things to improve, but we are still a growing team with a lot of young players.'
Angel Di Maria was not an option for Inter Miami
Many Inter Miami fans hoped that Argentine great Angel Di Maria would join Messi at Inter Miami, but Mascherano, who was also Di Maria's longtime teammate with the national team, said he knew that was never an option.
Di Maria, 37, announced this week that he was leaving Portuguese club Benfica and returning to his boyhood club Rosario Central in Argentina.
'I am friends with him, and I knew there was no chance he was coming to Miami because he wanted to go home,' Mascherano said. 'It was a decision he made a long time ago. You have to understand that when you spend many, many years away from home, it is normal to want to return home and be with your loved ones. Especially in his case, with a chance to return to his club, where it all began.
'He wanted to finish his career in Central, so I am very happy for him.'
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