Will Lionel Messi play in Inter Miami's match against Toronto FC? Here's the latest

Inter Miami is flying high.

After clinching its second trophy in club history against the Columbus Crew off the back of a Lionel Messi brace, the Herons will look to close out the regular season on a high note.

However, that may mean doing it without their talisman.

Speaking to the media ahead of their match versus Toronto FC, Miami manager Tata Martino spoke on Messi’s availability.

"In terms of Messi and the rest of the players that have participated, we have to look at the minutes,” Martino stated.

"With Leo, playing more minutes gets him more in rhythm."

Martino went on to say that the team will assess how Messi feels after the team’s final training session.

Should the 37-year-old be relegated to the bench, it’s likely due to the team’s short turnaround with just three days of rest from the Columbus match.

Conversely, as Martino stated, if Messi does play, it will be to get the Argentine back into rhythm before the MLS Cup playoffs kick-off for the Herons on October 25th. 

Whatever happens, Inter Miami is just two wins away from the all-time single-season points record.

Sitting on 68 points, Miami needs only five points to surpass the old benchmark, set by the New England Revolution in 2021 at 73.