INTER MIAMI will have to rely heavily on Lionel Messi’s firepower as they prepare for Saturday’s Club World Cup opener against Al-Ahly, with coach Javier Mascherano forced to re-shuffle his backline due to a string of injuries.
Fullback Jordi Alba, fellow defender Gonzalo Lujan and defensive midfielder Yannick Bright have all been ruled out of the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium.
“They are not available for this game, hopefully they will be for the second game,“ Mascherano told a press conference on Friday.
Alba, one of Messi’s former Barcelona teammates, is sidelined with a hamstring issue.
There were also concerns regarding the fitness of centre back David Martinez.
“David had some kind of pain yesterday and we did not want to take any risks,“ said Mascherano.
“The reality is that throughout the season, the team have dealt with injuries, but the players who stepped in rose to the challenge. That gives us peace of mind,“ he said.
Miami have conceded 16 goals in their last six competitive games.
Much of Miami’s chances rest on Messi’s shoulders.
“He’s in good shape this season. There were moments when we had to give him some time to rest, but he’s played the last 15 games, except for the match against Dallas when we rested the entire squad,“ said Mascherano.
“We were also fortunate he was able to rest during Argentina’s last two games,“ he added referring to Messi playing 111 minutes in Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia earlier this month.
“It’s our responsibility to create the right environment for him to shine.”
Miami will also take on Porto and Palmeiras in the 32-club competition.
Al Ahly coach Jose Riveiro, who took charge last month following the departure of Marcel Koller, believes Messi still has what it takes to shine.
“He is a player who can turn the game around at every moment. He’s a player you cannot forget at any moment,“ Riveiro told a press conference.
“His skill has always been his vision of the game and that has not changed. He is not a coach but he guides the players around him, he’s surrounded with young talent.”
Al Ahly have won four the last six African Champions League titles. S
