The ankle injury suffered by soccer superstar Lionel Messi is only expected to cost him two games for Inter Miami FC, or maybe a few beyond that, Miami coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino told reporters.
Messi injured his right ankle during Argentina's 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa America final and was forced to exit. The score was tied at 0-all when he departed.
Martino did not want to speculate on the severity of the injury and whether it would be long-term, but at least sounded as if it's not anything overly serious.
"He twisted his ankle, and the injury is present, so tests are needed and wait for results," Martino said. "I've had the opportunity to see other images. There will be tests done to determine the severity of the situation. We are always informed through our kinesiologist Walter Insaurralde, who is also the kinesiologist of the national team. He is very cautious at giving a final diagnosis before results are in."
Specifically, Messi went down in the 64th minute. "He immediately looked to the Argentina bench and was down for a couple of minutes before taking off his right boot and walking slowly off the field," the Associated Press wrote.
Video images during the match showed him crying briefly on the sidelines. Messi, 37, had a majorly swollen ankle, the video eventually revealed.
Some suspected he would be out for the remainder of the season and Olympics. But right now, all of it seems very much up in the air. That's a lot better than the alternative, though.
