Inter Miami will face the Chicago Fire in an MLS regular-season game, having already secured their playoff spot. With that achievement, there are questions about Lionel Messi’s availability, as head coach Javier Mascherano may consider resting the star player.
However, Messi has been in the starting lineup for the last five matches and played the full game each time. Despite some speculation, Messi is likely to start today, as Miami aims to close the gap at the top of the table with another win.
Although Inter Miami has clinched a postseason berth, they are still in the race for the Supporters’ Shield for the second consecutive year. Therefore, Mascherano will probably continue to field his strongest lineup as long as they have a mathematical chance to win the title.
Currently, the Herons are in third place in the Eastern Conference with 56 points, while the leaders, Philadelphia Union, have 63 points with two games left. Miami still has four matches remaining in the regular season to gain ground.
Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi during Inter Miami’s game against Toronto FC. (Michael Chisholm/Getty Images)
Probable lineup for Inter Miami
With the Supporters’ Shield as a key goal, even after securing a playoff slot, Javier Mascherano is likely to select his best XI against the Chicago Fire at Chase Stadium.
Projected Inter Miami lineup: Oscar Ustari; Ian Fray, Maximiliano Falcon, Noah Allen, Jordi Alba; Tadeo Allende, Rodrigo De Paul, Sergio Busquets, Baltasar Rodriguez; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez.
Probable lineup for Chicago Fire
The Chicago Fire are currently in ninth place with 48 points and three matches left. A win against Inter Miami would boost their chances of securing a play-in spot and vying for a postseason berth.
Projected Chicago Fire lineup: Christopher Brady; Joel Waterman, Jack Elliott, Samuel Rogers, Jonathan Bamba; Andre Franco, Dje D’Avilla, Philip Zinckernagel; Leonardo Barroso, Hugo Cuypers, Andrew Gutman.