Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will take on Atlanta United on Apple TV’s Sunday Night Soccer at 7 tonight.
It will be a rematch from a first-round matchup of last year’s MLS Cup playoffs, which saw Atlanta oust Inter Miami – the Supporters’ Shield winners that year.
Messi traveled with Inter Miami to Atlanta, but it’s unclear whether he will start or come off the bench during the Eastern Conference match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said the club helped Messi avoid a possible injury with his three-game layoff to begin the month, before he returned to action last Thursday in the second half of their Concacaf Champions Cup game against Jamaica Cavalier FC.
‘The idea was that he play 30-35 minutes in Jamaica to have good feelings again. In the end, we were able to find the time to do it well,” Mascherano said Saturday. ‘We tried to take away from the overload Messi had, so that it wouldn’t go further than that. We tried to handle it in the best way.
‘Luckily, we were able to control it and it didn’t turn into an injury or much more. … He’s better and we decided to start giving him minutes. There’s no secret in this.”
How to watch Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami match on Sunday?
The match be will be available to watch on Apple TV+ or MLS Season Pass.
What time does Atlanta United play Inter Miami on Sunday?
The match begins at 7 p.m. ET (8 p.m. in Argentina).
Is Messi playing tonight in Atlanta?
An official word is expected when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup about an hour before the match begins.
How did Messi fare in his last time out?
Messi appeared healthy and aggressive, as his run behind a line of defenders and chip shot in front of the goalkeeper in the 92nd minute helped Inter Miami advance past Cavalier 4-0 on aggregate score in the Champions Cup round-of-16 matchup.
How much time has Messi missed this season?
It was Messi’s first game since Feb. 25, when he helped Inter Miami dispatch Sporting Kansas City in the Champions Cup first round.
Messi did not travel to Inter Miami’s 4-1 win against the Houston Dynamo on March 2, and did not play in Inter Miami’s first leg against Cavalier FC on March 6. He was expected to come off the bench in Inter Miami’s 1-0 win against Charlotte on March 9, but did not want to risk Messi while playing with 10 players after an early red card.
Messi predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-25, and eight matches in a 40-day span from Jan. 18 to Feb. 14, which included five preseason matches to start the year.
Messi to join Argentine national team for FIFA window
After the Atlanta match, Messi is expected to join the Argentine national team for two matches: Argentina visits Uruguay on March 21, then Argentina hosts Brazil on March 25.
Inter Miami returns to MLS action at home on March 29, hosting Philadelphia Union.
Inter Miami will visit LAFC to play the first leg of their quarterfinal matchup in the Champions Cup on April 2, host Toronto FC in a regular-season game on April 6, then host LAFC in the second leg of their Champions Cup matchup on April 9.