Gerardo Martino confirms Lionel Messi will start against FC Cincinnati in US Open Cup | OneFootball

Inter Miami are gearing up for their US Open Cup semi-final clash with FC Cincinnati, and Lionel Messi won't be starting the game from the bench, confirmed head coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino.

Messi, who's found the back of the net 10 times in his first seven appearances for the south Florida club, won't be rested as the Herons are just one game away from the US Open Cup final. Should the South Florida team triumph at TQL Stadium, Martino's side would find themselves in a matchup with either Houston Dynamo or Real Salt Lake in the final on September 27.

Martino explained the situation that Messi is the type of player who wants to always play: "We said that at some point he would have to rest because of the load of minutes played," the 60-year-old said on Monday.

If anyone thought Messi was coming to Inter Miami for a vacation, they thought wrong. As the former Paris Saint-Germain player already propelled Miami to their first ever trophy, he's looking to do more of the same by leading his side against Cincy.

"Clearly, Wednesday is not going to be that day. If he does not tell me he wants to rest, he will continue to play," said Martino.

While Messi's impact on the pitch has been transformative for the Herons, he's also had a tremendous impact behind closed doors at the training ground with the younger players in the Miami squad.

"... with him and also with Jordi Alba; they get the younger players together to explain the work and the goals. That really helps the team prepare more quickly."