Lionel Messi to Miss Inter Miami's Game vs. DC United with Leg Injury

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi is not expected to play in Saturday's MLS match against D.C. United due to a leg injury.

According to Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald, Inter Miami assistant coach Javi Morales said Friday that Messi is "practically ruled out" as the team awaits test results.

Kaufman added that it is unclear if Messi will be able to play in Argentina's friendlies against El Salvador in Philadelphia on March 22 and against Costa Rica in Los Angeles on March 26.

Per ESPN.com, Inter Miami head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino said this week that Messi left Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions Cup's round of 16 win over Nashville SC in the 50th minute due to a "muscle overload in his right leg."

Martino also said coming out of the win over Nashville that he didn't want to "take any risks" with Messi's health and considered him unlikely to play Saturday.

Before exiting Wednesday's match, the 36-year-old Messi was his dominant self, accounting for one goal and one assist in the victory.

Since arriving in MLS last year after a two-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi has appeared in 19 matches across all competitions for Inter Miami, scoring 16 goals.

That includes five goals in five matches this season for an Inter Miami team that is tied for the top spot in MLS with seven points through four matches.

Messi is perhaps entering the twilight of his career, so injuries are going to be more common and Inter Miami is likely to be cautious when there are any questions about his health.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2022 FIFA World Cup champion is still an unstoppable force when he plays, though, and sitting him against D.C. United could help ensure that he is fit for even bigger matches as the season rolls on.

It won't be easy to replace a player who has the second-most goals in major competitive soccer history with over 800, but Inter Miami do have another veteran star they can lean on.

Luis Suárez, who was previously Messi's teammate with Barcelona, will likely be the go-to guy from an attacking perspective until Messi returns.

Suárez has over 500 career goals in his own right and four in six matches so far this season with Inter Miami, so he could be Miami's key to success against D.C. United on Saturday.