Inter Miami's Champions Cup adventure begins - but Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez face sitting out games to ensure both remain fit and firing

The Herons will rely heavily on their older stars in 2024, but at what point can they get them some rest?

All has gone to plan for Inter Miami so far in 2024. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are firing, bringing back one of history's greatest partnerships for a stateside run. With seven points from three games, Miami are setting the pace in MLS, as many expected they would.

Good things don't last forever, though - particularly those spearheaded by players in their late 30s. At some point, Miami will be hit by a problem; the only question is how big it will be.

Small issues can't be avoided. Fatigue here, a little injury there; that's bound to happen. When you're working with old legs, that's what you sign up for. The big problems, though... There are ways to manage those. And, for Inter Miami, managing to avoid the big problems will be what defines their season.

Miami are dazzling in MLS but, on Thursday, they open their CONCACAF Champions Cup campaign against Nashville SC. It's one of three competitions Inter Miami will play in this season, and the more games the play in those competitions, the greater the risk.

Managing that risk is Gerardo 'Tata' Martino's biggest task this season. Having Messi on your team makes life a lot easier, but there is a hard part to it all: knowing when to sit him down. It's a tough tightrope to walk, but it's one that's already in focus just a few weeks into the MLS season.

Gruelling preseason

The season may be young, but Inter Miami already have a lot of miles under them. Their globetrotting preseason saw the club play all over the world, going from North America to Saudi Arabia, then east Asia and back again. It was a lot of flying and plenty of nights in hotels. And, for the players in the Inter Miami squad, it was exhausting.

"I am a bit tired after such a long stretch of games and travel," Messi said ahead of Miami's match against Vissel Kobe, their penultimate warm-up game for the new campaign, "and I'm eager to have us play this last game and then return home.”

Miami didn't make it through preseason unscathed, either. Talented playmaker Facundo Farias saw his season ended before it had even begun after suffering an ACL injury, while teenage midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi went down, too, and still has a few more weeks on the shelf before he can return.

Overall, the preseason was rough, both from a sporting and fitness standpoint, and it remains to be seen what kind of impact that will have on players throughout this campaign.

Messi's minutes so far

Unsurprisingly, Inter Miami are relying heavily on Messi this season. Through the first three games, he's scored twice and assisted two more, making him the key catalyst for the team's hot start to the season.

Thus far, though, Messi hasn't received a break, even if there seemed to be a perfect time to give him one. Through three games, Messi has played all 270 minutes. In the first two matches, a win over Real Salt Lake and a draw with the LA Galaxy, that was by necessity. Those were two tight contests, both of which needed Messi to be decisive.

In the 5-0 win over Orlando City, though, it seemed that Martino had been given a golden gift. Miami scored all five of their goals by the 62nd minute, leaving Martino with about half an hour to simply kill off the game. Miami did so with Messi on the field, though, as the Argentine was never substituted.

Was it a risk? Absolutely, particularly against an Orlando team that seemed determined to take Messi out when they faced off last season. Fortunately, Messi and Miami made it through, but Martino has admitted that the 36-year-old is already feeling the effects of this wild start to the season.

Martino's POV

Martino has a fantastic relationship with Messi. He coached him at Barcelona, with Argentina and, now, in Miami. All that is to say that Martino, more than most, knows how to handle the legendary attacker.

And he admits that, right now, Messi's having to do a bit more than he should be. The Miami manager has legitimate concerns about fatigue just a few games into this MLS season.

"I feel that in these last two matches, he has expended too much energy," Martino said about his fellow Argentine, "and that is also my responsibility to make sure the team operates in a way that we can use him in the best way.

"I’ve been discussing some things with him and what concerns me the most is the day-to-day and how he is recovering game-by-game. I feel that in these first two matches, we have relied on him too much, which has caused him significant fatigue in both games."

Messi, though, isn't Miami's biggest concern. He, knock on wood, has had a clean bill of health for virtually the entirety of his career. His long-time running mate Suarez, however, is in a whole different situation.

Suarez's creaking knees

While Messi's health and fitness has never really been in doubt, save for the issues with Father Time, Suarez is a different case. At the moment, his knees are a ticking timebomb.

The Uruguayan star is on his last legs, literally. His knees are just about shot, and he admits that there's a chance that he may not get to live a normal life post-retirement.

Suarez told Sport 890 radio last year: “On the outside of my knee I have tension that remains from surgery in 2020 when I was at Barcelona. In my last stage of recovery, the pandemic came and I had to do exercises on my own and I couldn’t finish stretching my knee. On the inside, I have cartilage wear and that hits the bone. The days before each game, I take three pills and hours before playing I get an injection. If not, I can’t play. Hence the limp.

"I have to think that in maybe five years, I won’t be able to play five-a-side football with my friends. The truth is that the first steps in the morning are very painful. Anyone who sees me thinks that it is impossible for me to play a game. My son asks me to play with him and I can’t.”

Thus far at Miami, Suarez has held up well. His performance against Orlando was incredible, as he scored two and set up two more in the five-goal win. It's clear that Suarez has still got it and, when on his game, there won't be a better finisher in MLS.

The question is how to manage him. How many minutes can he realistically play? Given Miami's chaotic schedule, which has already seen one midweek game and another coming on Thursday against Nashville, can Suarez be counted on to play back-to-back matches? Will there be a point where the club shuts him down for a week or two simply to allow him to get some rest?

It's a long season, and there will be some lulls during it to get Suarez some breaks. Right now, Miami don't have that luxury. They'll surely be prioritizing the CONCACAF Champions Cup, a chance to win another major regional trophy. And, as they prepare to enter the competition on Thursday, it looks like they may already be without one of the Barca old boys.

Alba set to miss out?

While Messi and Suarez could very well start, Jordi Alba remains a doubt. An illness could knock him out of the game and, as a result, Miami could be without one of the most unique weapons the game has seen at the left-back position.

"Jordi is dealing with a strong flu, we will evaluate him tomorrow to see if he's fit to play," Martino said. "They'll have to ring his doorbell at home to see if he's here. It's always important for the opponent to discover who they're facing when they see the squad list."

Losing Alba would be a big blow, of course, but Miami are loaded with talent. The hope will be that will be enough in the CONCACAF Champions Cup as the club looks to follow up their Leagues Cup triumph from 2023 with another big run at a trophy in 2024.

Prioritizing the cup

We don't yet know how much Miami will prioritize the cup, but based on what we have seen from the club since Messi's arrival, it's safe to assume they're going to really go for it. This is a club that has ambitions far beyond MLS, and the CONCACAF Champions Cup offers them a pathway to qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup.

Getting there would be huge for Miami, who would then get to face off against the world's elite. They were humbled by Saudi giants Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal in preseason, but those were only friendlies. Facing those teams again, or some of Europe's elite, in competitive fixtures could take the club to another stratosphere worldwide.

Because of that, it's safe to assume that the cup will take priority during the coming weeks. They face Nashville on Thursday and then again next Wednesday. Sandwiched between that is an MLS match against CF Montreal. That Montreal game could be the one where we see Martino give some players a rest, as could March 16's clash with D.C. United.

Rotation has to come at some point, as Martino will inevitably need to get his older stars some rest. It'll be a balancing act, and it's only just beginning, too. Miami's season will require stars to peak at the right moment. If they do, they'll have a chance at winning every trophy. If something goes wrong, though, it could all come crashing down in a hurry