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Lionel Messi did not play in Inter Miami's 0-0 draw with Orlando City on Wednesday night at Inter & Co Stadium after suffering an injury to his left knee during his team's 3-2 MLS win over Montreal on Saturday.
After the match, Miami manager Gerardo Martino was asked about playing without Messi and he reiterated similar comments from games when the team had been without its talisman before.
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"There is something that when Leo Messi is absent cannot be recreated and is impossible to accomplish, which is his capacity to play in the last 25 meters of the field," Martino said after the game. "This is felt at today's Inter Miami and it was also felt by the FC Barcelona from 10 years ago. Everything good done in the buildup of the game needed Messi to finalize the play.
"When the rival stays back and defends, Messi finds a solution."
Robert Taylor replaced Messi in Gerardo "Tata" Martino's starting XI and Luis Suarez led the attack with Matias Rojas, but the team struggled to generate any kind of offensive threat and had just three shots on goal for the match. Jordi Alba, who had been out for five weeks after leaving Miami's 3-2 win against Sporting Kansas City on April 13, came on as a substitute in the 64th minute.
Despite the setback against Orlando, Martino said Messi's injury was not too serious and that he expected him back soon.
"He had a bother in his knee, but he trained every day that the medical team and physical trainers wanted him to after the knock he suffered during the game against Montreal," Martino said. "He was uneasy about it, so he had tests done and the results came out very good. Having three games this week coupled with his pain to maneuver, we knew it was prudent he sit out today's match.
"The idea is that he plays the game on Saturday against D.C. United, but it will continue to depend on how the injured evolutions. He trained today as well and did well. We will not risk anything, so we will see."
The result keeps Miami in first place in the Eastern Conference on 28 points from 14 games, while the point leaves Orlando in 10th place.
Since Messi made his debut, the team is 2-4-7 (W-D-L) in all competitions when he does not play and 15-7-3 when he does. Inter Miami currently leads the Eastern Conference table with 28 points in 14 games as Messi has rewritten the league history books to start the season with 12 goals and 13 assists.
