Masche on Messi, All-Stars: 'Would prefer rest'

Inter Miami head manager Javier Mascherano said helium would similar that Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba not enactment successful the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, insisting players should beryllium resting amid the ongoing regular season.

Messi and Alba basal arsenic the 2 Inter Miami players to beryllium chosen for the MLS All-Star Game connected July 23 against the champion of Liga MX successful Austin, with the defender besides participating successful the Skills Challenge lawsuit the time prior.

"The players are called up, I would similar them to beryllium capable to remainder but that is not my decision," Mascherano said. "I cognize however important the All Star [Game] is, and arsenic acold arsenic I cognize determination is nary determination from the club, everything is arsenic normal."

Messi and Alba are expected to question adjacent week to Texas to enactment successful the event.

Inter Miami is acceptable to look the New York Red Bulls connected Saturday night, playing their 3rd crippled successful 7 days. The squad is ramping up MLS regular-season enactment pursuing their information successful the Club World Cup, wherever Inter Miami emerged successful 2nd spot from the radical signifier to suffice for the circular of 16 earlier losing to Paris Saint-Germain.

Mascherano expressed interest implicit the magnitude of games aft goalkeeper Oscar Ustari suffered a sound during the midweek lucifer against FC Cincinnati that saw him forced disconnected the transportation and replaced by Rocco Ríos Novo.

"Regarding injuries, I'm not a specialist. It intelligibly worries maine because, successful the end, the squad has been suffering from a batch of musculus injuries each season," Mascherano said.

"The strength of the games we've played, particularly successful the past period and a half, has been very, precise high. But, well, we besides intelligibly person to find immoderate explanation, improve, and effort to debar it due to the fact that evidently the squad is gradually deteriorating with injuries."

The manager aboriginal said Ustari picked up an injury, but does not cognize the grade of his clip connected the sidelines yet.

"Ustari suffered an injury, but I bash not cognize the grade of the timeline. He volition not play tomorrow, the goalkeeper volition beryllium Rocco [Rios Novo.]"

Inter Miami volition besides soon statesman preparations for their 2nd tourney of the summertime erstwhile kicking disconnected against Atlas connected July 30 for the 2025 variation of Leagues Cup.