Lionel Messi Inter Miami

Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba exit early with injuries in Inter Miami win

Lionel Messi Inter Miami

Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba both exited Inter Miami's 4-0 win over Toronto FC on

 Wednesday night with injuries, raising concerns about their fitness ahead of the

 team's playoff push.

Messi was substituted in the 37th minute with what appeared to be a leg injury,

 while Alba had left the field a few minutes earlier with a muscular problem.

Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino confirmed after the match that both

 players will miss the team's next game against Orlando City on Sunday.

"It's not good news," Martino said. "We're going to have to assess them over the next

 few days to see how serious their injuries are."

The early exits of Messi and Alba were a blow to Inter Miami, who were already

 without several key players due to injury.

However, the team showed great character to bounce back and win the game

 comfortably.

Gonzalo Higuaín scored twice, while Alejandro Pozuelo and Robert Taylor also got

 on the scoresheet.

The win moved Inter Miami up to sixth place in the Eastern Conference, five points

 behind the final playoff spot.

Messi and Alba's injuries are a concern for Inter Miami

The injuries to Messi and Alba are a major concern for Inter Miami, who are trying

 to make a playoff push in their second season in MLS.

Messi has been the team's talisman since joining in January, scoring 11 goals and

 providing eight assists in 20 appearances.

Alba has also been a key player for Inter Miami, providing width and creativity on

 the left flank.

How will Inter Miami cope without Messi and Alba?

Inter Miami will need to find a way to cope without Messi and Alba in the coming

 weeks.

The team has several other talented players in its attack, such as Higuaín, Pozuelo,

 and Taylor.

However, Messi is irreplaceable, and his absence will be a major blow to the team's

 creativity and attacking threat.

Inter Miami will also need to find a way to cover for Alba's absence on the left flank.

Noah Allen is the team's only other natural left-back, but he is inexperienced.

Inter Miami could also play with a three-man defense and use a winger, such as

 Jean Mota or Edison Flores, as a wing-back.

 

Lionel Messi

Inter Miami's playoff hopes

Inter Miami's playoff hopes will depend on how well they can cope without Messi

 and Alba in the coming weeks.

The team has a tough schedule ahead of them, with games against Orlando City,

 New York City FC, and Philadelphia Union.

If Inter Miami can win a few of these games, they will be in a good position to make

 the playoffs.

However, if they lose several games, they could miss the playoffs altogether.

Conclusion

The injuries to Messi and Alba are a major blow to Inter Miami's playoff hopes.

The team will need to find a way to cope without their two-star players in the

 coming weeks.

If Inter Miami can win a few of their next games, they will be in a good position to

 make the playoffs.

However, if they lose several games, they could miss the playoffs altogether.

Additional analysis

In addition to the concerns about Inter Miami's playoff hopes, Messi and Alba's

 injuries could also have a knock-on effect on the Argentina and Spain national

 teams, respectively.

Argentina is due to play two friendlies in October, against Honduras and Jamaica.

Spain is also due to play two friendlies in October, against Switzerland and

 Portugal.

It is unclear whether Messi and Alba will be fit to play in these matches.

If they are not, it would be a major blow to their respective countries.

Messi is Argentina's captain and all-time leading scorer.

Alba is a key player for Spain and is expected to start in the team's defense at the

 2024 European Championship.

Overall, the injuries to Messi and Alba are a major setback for Inter Miami,

 Argentina, and Spain.

It will be interesting to see how the three teams cope without their two-star players

 in the coming weeks and months.