MIAMI — Inter Miami plays its fourth game of the MLS season on Sunday at home against CF Montreal, and the questions about Lionel Messi’s availability have begun.

The 36-year-old Argentine star played the full 90 minutes of every game thus far, three MLS games and the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 against Nashville on Thursday. He took a hard kick to the calf in the Nashville game, though he continued and assistant coach Javi Morales said Saturday morning that Messi seemed fine.

“The knock on Leo was just a knock, a hard tackle, but he is fine, he finished the game fine, so that is not a factor,” Morales said.

But Morales was noncommittal about a projected lineup when asked whether Messi and/or any of his teammates might skip the Montreal game to be fully rested for the second leg of the Champions Cup series against Nashville at home on Wednesday night. Miami tied Nashville 2-2 in the first leg.

“It’s something we haven’t decided yet because we arrived from the Nashville game late and the team was off (Friday),” Morales said. “We have to see how the players are, especially the ones who played the most minutes and then we will make a decision after practice (Saturday) and we will see who is healthy and ready to play Sunday.”

Asked specifically about Messi’s status for the game Sunday, Morales said: “We all know Leo, he’s a player who wants to play every game. I think it will depend on a conversation with him to see how he is doing and to decide what is best for him. He has played all the games for 90 minutes and we will make the best decision thinking of him.”

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino stressed from the start of the preseason that managing players’ minutes, particularly the ones in their mid-30s, will be critical as the schedule includes 34 MLS games, the Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, and for some players, including Messi and 37-year-old Luis Suarez, the Copa America this summer.

Suarez battled knee issues much of last season in the Brazilian league and seemed a bit hobbled in the preseason, but has been in good form of late, scoring three goals and registering three assists in the past two games.

Morales said there are no designated plans to rotate Suarez out of the lineup, that it will be a game-by-game decision.

Messi and Suarez were not on the field during the open media portion of Saturday morning’s training session. Eight players who did not play against Nashville did drills while six of the Thursday starters ran (Sergio Busquets, Fede Redondo, Diego Gomez, Nico Freire, Noah Allen, Julian Gressel). Sergiy Kryvtsov and Tomas Aviles were not on the field.

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