Inter Miami boss Tata Martino has delivered a cryptic “ring his doorbell” update on Jordi Alba’s fitness ahead of a Champions Cup game with Nashville.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Herons ready for continental competition
• Spanish full-back struggling with illness
• Coach keeping selection plans to himself

• Table of Contents

  Toggle

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Herons will be in continental CONCACAF competition on Thursday when taking on domestic MLS rivals. Martino is giving little away when it comes to selection plans for that contest, with it yet to be revealed whether the likes of Alba, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets will be taking to the field.

  Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  WHAT MARTINO SAID ABOUT ALBA

  Veteran left-back Alba has been struggling with illness of late, but Martino said when asked for an update on the former Barcelona defender and whether he has travelled with the rest of Miami's squad: “Jordi is dealing with a strong flu, we will evaluate him to see if he's fit to play. 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.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Inter Miami are being tipped by many to compete for major honours on multiple fronts this season, but Martino refuses to accept that they are favourites to land the Champions Cup crown. The Argentine added: “We have the same obligations as Philadelphia, Pachuca, America, Monterrey, Tigres, Cincinnati. The only way we become favourites is based on what we do on the field. I don't acknowledge favouritism before the ball moves. We don't claim favouritism at the expense of other institutions.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

  Martino’s side have made an unbeaten start to the 2024 campaign, with seven points collected from three MLS fixtures so far – with the likes of Messi and Suarez already among the goals as questions are asked of whether their ageing limbs can handle the demands of four competitions.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News