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Lionel Messi 'fine' after tweaking left ankle

Reuters FOOTBALL
Published August 15,2023
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Lionel Messi appeared to tweak his left ankle during a training session Monday, but the Inter Miami standout is not expected to miss Tuesday's League Cup semifinal on the road against the Philadelphia Union.

Video from ESPN's Spanish-language affiliate showed Messi as he appeared to roll his left ankle in a close-quarters passing drill. He stepped gingerly on his left foot for a few moments but returned to the drill.

"Since everyone was fine, I imagine nothing happened," said Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino, who admitted he did not see the incident but did hear about it.

"I was only at a part of the session because I had a meeting afterwards and was finishing preparing, so I didn't see exactly what happened," Martino added in Spanish.

Messi, the Argentine superstar and reigning World Cup Golden Ball winner, made his debut for Miami as the Leagues Cup began after completing his signing with the Herons last month.

He has been the most dynamic player in the competition contested among all 47 clubs of MLS and Liga MX, scoring eight goals and assisting three more while helping Miami post a 4-0-1 record in the tournament.