Messi Set to Return After Two-month Lay Off

Alexis Mac Allister (C) of Argentina celebrates a goal that was later disallowed during a CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier soccer match between Argentina and Chile at Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 05 September 2024. (EPA)
Alexis Mac Allister (C) of Argentina celebrates a goal that was later disallowed during a CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier soccer match between Argentina and Chile at Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 05 September 2024. (EPA)
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Messi Set to Return After Two-month Lay Off

Alexis Mac Allister (C) of Argentina celebrates a goal that was later disallowed during a CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier soccer match between Argentina and Chile at Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 05 September 2024. (EPA)
Alexis Mac Allister (C) of Argentina celebrates a goal that was later disallowed during a CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier soccer match between Argentina and Chile at Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 05 September 2024. (EPA)

Lionel Messi is set to return to action with his club Inter Miami this weekend after spending over two months out with an ankle injury, Miami coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.

"Yes, he is fine," Martino said before training Friday. "He trained (Thursday), he is in the plans for the game. After training we will figure out the strategy for him, but he is available," added the Argentine, AFP reported.

Inter Miami, who lead the Eastern Conference and are top of the overall standings, host the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.

Messi injured his right ankle during the final of the Copa America on July 14 when he helped Argentina to victory over Colombia.

Since then he has missed eight MLS games for his club and this month's World Cup qualifiers for his country.

"To get back the best player in the world to our team, which was already on a good run, we are all very happy with this situation," said Martino.

Inter have already booked their place in the MLS Cup playoffs although their seeding will depend on how they finish the regular season which concludes on October 19.

Miami's Finnish winger Robert Taylor concurred said Messi's return to training had given the team a boost.

"We're already confident, but he gives us even more confidence now that he's back training and hopefully he's ready to play soon," Taylor told the Miami Herald.

"He brings a lot of leadership. The way he’s competitive in training is really, really amazing to watch. He wants to win every little thing we do in training, whether it’s football tennis, rondos, small-sided games, he just wants to win everything. So that boosts everyone to try to match that level," he said.

Taylor doesn't expect to see any lasting impact of the injury on the record eight-times Ballon d'Or winner.

"Of course, two months is a long time, for anyone, but he's the best player there is. So, I don't think we'll see much of a different Messi than we've seen before," he added.



Mbappé among Stars Missing from Nations League while European Teams Eye World Cup Qualifying

Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)
Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)
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Mbappé among Stars Missing from Nations League while European Teams Eye World Cup Qualifying

Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)
Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)

In a congested soccer season where elite players have aired the idea of going on strike, the Nations League returns this week looking less than a top priority.

France captain Kylian Mbappé opted to stay away, his probable deputy Antoine Griezmann retired from the national team, and Romelu Lukaku asked to work on his fitness at new club Napoli rather than join the Belgium camp.

Add a wave of injury call-offs in Germany and elsewhere — some of them serious, for Spain defender Dani Carvajal and German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen — and the Nations League will open an international door for newcomers, The AP reported.

Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco called up four potential debutants to experiment in games in what is the third-tier competition for European teams.

“We will not do it during the important World Cup qualification,” said Tedesco, looking ahead to that important next stage in 2025.

The 2026 World Cup in North America is, however, already now in play for teams targeting that tournament and each has two Nations League games from Thursday through Tuesday.

Results in the next week, and two more games in November, are the last chance to gain a better seeding in the Dec. 13 draw in Zurich for European qualifying groups for the World Cup.

Two teams pushing to raise their FIFA ranking and go into the draw pot of second-seeded teams are Norway and Slovenia.

Haaland vs. Sesko Europe’s most feared striker and one of its emerging stars are due to meet again on Thursday in Oslo.

Erling Haaland and Benjamin Šeško, once club mates at Salzburg, are the main attractions when Norway hosts Slovenia in their second-tier League B group.

Haaland has 11 goals in 10 games for Manchester City this season plus a winning goal in the Nations League, sealing a 2-1 victory over Austria last month.

Šeško has six in nine games for Leipzig — including three in the Champions League — plus four in two Nations League games. The tall striker got a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Kazakhstan.

Thursday’s game will not be decisive in the group but it will decide who leads at the midway point and is set for promotion to the top tier. The return game in Ljubljana is Nov. 14.

France's leader The last time France played a game with neither Mbappé nor Griezmann on the field? November 2016, in a 0-0 draw with Ivory Coast in a friendly.

It will happen again Thursday when France faces Israel in Budapest. The Hungarian capital is the neutral venue chosen since Israel’s conflict with Hamas started one year ago.

Mbappé has faced a latest round of criticism at home by asking out of coach Didier Deschamp’s squad last week then starting for Real Madrid in a league game Saturday.

The search for a new captain has taken Deschamps back to Madrid, with 24-year-old midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni named Wednesday to take the armband. France also travels to face Belgium on Monday.

Standout Italy Italy leads the top-tier group that includes France and Belgium after winning both its September games on the road.

A 3-1 win in France, despite trailing in the first minute, was perhaps the standout performance in the Nations League last month. Italy followed it with a 2-1 win over Israel in Budapest.

Coach Luciano Spalletti’s squad, refreshed with younger players after a round of 16 exit at the European Championship, now has back-to-back home games: against Belgium in Rome on Thursday and Israel in Udine on Monday.

Italy can seal a top-two finish in the group on Monday with two rounds left to play in November. That would earn a place in the Nations League quarterfinals in March.

Top-tier teams that advance to the Nations League Final Four mini-tournament in June will not start their World Cup qualifying games until September. They will need to be placed by FIFA into four-team groups.

Rookie 'keepers Manuel Neuer has retired from the Germany team and Marc-André ter Stegen is out injured beyond the March international break.

So, in come three newcomers competing to be first-choice goalkeepers for games at Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday and home to the Netherlands on Monday: Oliver Baumann of Hoffenheim, Alexander Nübel of Stuttgart and Janis Blaswich, who plays at Salzburg on loan from sister club Leipzig.

Coach Julian Nagelsmann also is without the injured trio of Bayern’s Jamal Musiala, Arsenal’s Kai Havertz and West Ham’s Niclas Füllkrug.

Games to watch Defending champion Spain returns Saturday hosting Denmark which won its first two games under new coach Lars Knudsen without conceding a goal.

Two entertaining teams at Euro 2024, Georgia and Albania, renew rivalry on Monday. Georgia won 1-0 in Tirana last month and leads that second-tier group of four Euro 2024 teams which also includes the Czech Republic and last-place Ukraine.

Cristiano Ronaldo has graced almost every national stadium in Europe across two decades and 214 games for Portugal, though not yet Hampden Park in Glasgow. He should play there Tuesday.

It took Ronaldo until his 214th game last month to even face Scotland, and he scored a men’s record-extending 132nd goal to seal a 2-1 win in the 88th minute.

In the same group, Poland vs Croatia should see two greats face off as captains: 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski and 39-year-old Luka Modrić.