Allen Obando’s constant injuries threaten his future at Inter Miami

Inter Miami is hours away from facing the New York City FC for a chance to secure a spot in the MLS playoffs. With a more mature Javier Mascherano, the objective is simple: win tonight and prepare for the postseason.

The recent victory against D.C. United gave the squad a boost to face the end of the season in the best possible way.

However, there is still one player who arrived on the Herons' roster and hasn’t shown what he is made of. This young player has dealt with many injuries and is trying to earn a place in the coach’s starting lineup.

Will Inter Miami re-sign or sign a loan extension for this player? A valuable question considering the possibilities.

Should Inter Miami keep Allen Obando after his contract ends?

The 19-year-old striker arrived in Miami in March of this year. Joining the Herons as a bet for the future, Obando played seven games with the squad, scoring one goal.

One could think: It’s not that bad. It is a new talent trying to emerge in a pool with more experience and established players. However, the story is another.

Looking at the statistics, if he played seven games, he was on the field for at least 300 to 400 minutes, making an average calculation. But that’s not the case. The Ecuadorian disputed 181 minutes between MLS and the Concachampions, according to TransferMarkt.

It’s true that with Luis Suarez and Tadeo Allende as the main strikers, with the addition of Fafá Picault to the equation, Obando was going to have some sporadic numbers.

Still, no one would have thought he wasn’t considered by Mascherano, even when Inter Miami played for nothing, and knowing that the team needed to rotate due to the tight schedule with the Club World Cup.

Although it’s true that the injuries of the young striker didn’t help him. Obando has been dealing with a hamstring issue that has sidelined him since the last Club World Cup.

Knowing the physical problems of Obando, it’s really hard for the Herons to renew their loan. The problem is that we don’t really know how he plays because he has spent too much time injured. It’s very risky for a club to bet on someone who has a high chance of getting injured again.

No matter how much of a great prospect he might be for the future, it’s too much risk for too little reward. I believe the idea of Inter Miami was for him to be the replacement for Suarez, but Obando didn’t match the expectations.

I hope he gets healthy and proves me wrong, but at this rate, he will not continue with Las Garzas next season.