Defending Leagues Cup champion Inter Miami will continue its quest for another title without captain Lionel Messi on Thursday night as the injured star has been ruled out of the Round of 32 home game against Toronto FC.

Messi, who injured his right ankle playing for Argentina in the Copa America final against Colombia July 14, will sit out the fourth game in a row and the 16th game this season as he continues to recuperate. Messi has missed nine games due to injury, five due to Copa America, and did not travel to Vancouver in May to rest.

He is out of the protective walking boot, working in the gym, but has not yet returned to training on the field, coach Tata Martino said. “Leo is getting better every day. He’s on the recovery pace that we were anticipating.”

Although there is no specific timetable for Messi’s return, Martino said he hopes to have the full roster back in a week or two, minus Facundo Farias and Nico Freire, who are out with long term injuries. Luis Suarez, who missed the Leagues Cup game against Tigres with sore knees, has had a good week of practice and is available for Thursday.

If Inter Miami reaches the Leagues Cup final Aug. 25, it is possible Messi could be healthy by then. The MLS season resumes the last week of August and Argentina has World Cup qualifiers Sept. 5 against Chile and Sept. 10 against Colombia. Surely, if fully healthy, Messi will want to be back on the field for that important stretch.

The winner of Thursday’s game advances to a Round of 16 game on the road Monday or Tuesday against the winner of the Friday game between defending MLS champion Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City. Seedings and home field advantage are based on last year’s MLS standings, so the Crew and Kansas City get the edge over Miami and Toronto.

Inter Miami beat Toronto 3-1 on July 17 at Chase Stadium in a regular season league game, and Miami is in first place in the Eastern Conference with 56 points while Toronto is in eighth place with 30 points. Miami has scored 56 goals and allowed 39 for a plus-17 goal differential. Toronto has scored 34 and conceded 47 for a minus-13 differential.

Nevertheless, Martino and his players are not taking Thursday’s game lightly.

Martino said Toronto, which beat Mexican team Pachuca over the weekend, is much better than its record, plays an intense style, and has talented players who will make the game challenging. Among the key Toronto players are high-priced Italian imports Federico Bernardeschi, who came from Juventus, and Lorenzo Insigne, who came from Napoli.

“Toronto is a team that has improved a lot, has many experienced, high-quality players, so we know it won’t be easy,” said forward Leo Campana, who scored his 29th goal for Inter Miami on Saturday, tying Gonzalo Higuain for most goals in team history. “Every opponent comes in for the kill when they play us at home, or on the road, so it will be difficult. But we are prepared.”

Campana, who has played for the Ecuadorean national team, has had to battle for playing time since he arrived at the club, first behind Gonzalo Higuain, then Josef Martinez and this year Luis Suarez. He has started 12 games this season, come off the bench nine times, and contributed five goals and one assist.

“It’s always great to make your mark on the club,” Campana said. “It makes me happy to see my country and family name highlighted, so that’s important. But I am here for the team to compete for championships. The group goal is the most important, so I have to keep working, will be there when they need me, and will take advantage of every opportunity I get.”

He said while he aims to start and play more minutes, he has tried “to be a sponge” and absorb all the tutelage he can from prolific scorers such as Higuain, Martinez and Suarez. “I know my time will come,” Campana said. “I just need patience, hard work and faith.”

Borgelin to leave Inter Miami

Forward Shanyder Borgelin, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native and Haitian American who has appeared in six games this season, is moving to a new team. “The club will be making an announcement on Thursday regarding Borgelin’s situation,” Martino said. “It will be good news for him.” A league source said Borgelin will be heading overseas to the Danish league.

Cremaschi, Gomez back from Olympics

Key Biscayne teenager Benjamin Cremaschi (USA) and midfielder Diego Gomez (Paraguay) are back from the Paris Olympics and ready to play against Toronto, Martino said.

Cremaschi said he didn’t have time to attend any other OIympic events because the soccer team was not based in Paris, but he did pay a visit to the Athletes Village. “It was a great experience, amazing to be there to represent the country and the club,” Cremaschi said. “I didn’t play as much as I hoped, I guess because of how the games were going, but hopefully next time I can get more minutes.”

Inter Miami Roster News

The club gave the Colorado Rapids $100,000 in exchange for an additional international roster spot late last week. Asked if they have someone in mind to fill that spot, Martino smiled and replied: “We like to save. For now, it’s a spot we’re saving, and we’ll see if we can use it.” Martino said they will not necessarily use it during the summer transfer window, which closes Aug. 14.

Tickets, How to Watch Inter Miami vs. Toronto FC

The Leagues Cup game between Inter Miami and Toronto FC kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster. The game will be televised on Apple TV MLS Season Pass.

____

©2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.