Written By
Daniela Scottie
Lionel Messi has been officially ruled out of Inter Miami's squad for the start of the highly anticipated US Open Cup final versus Houston Dynamo.
The squad confirmed the news, throwing doubt on their chances in the important match.
Messi's absence from the final had been rumored due to an injury worry that had developed previous to the big game.
He was noticeably absent from his team's recent 1-1 tie with Orlando City on Sunday.
Since his return from international service with the Argentine national team earlier this month,
the Argentine football sensation's fitness situation has been a source of intrigue and concern.
On September 7, Messi was substituted in the dying minutes of Argentina's 1-0 victory over Ecuador in a South American World Cup qualifier.
As a result, he opted to skip the match against Bolivia five days later.
On the domestic front, the 36-year-old forward missed a game against Atlanta on September 16, citing "muscle fatigue" as the reason for his absence.
However, he returned to the field quickly, playing against Toronto just four days later.