Setback for Messi and Miami: How long will Cremaschi be out?
Everyone knew that Inter Miami’s preseason tour would be challenging.
Even after only two games, the tour has already been a complete failure. On top of it, there is already the daunting task of playing seven matches across five nations.
A major setback occurred when the highly-talented 21-year-old Argentine midfielder Facundo Farias, suffered an injury. His season-ending knee injury occurred in the first preseason game, and it will prevent him from playing all year.
Another promising young player will now miss a significant amount of time. Benjamin Cremaschi, a midfielder for the club, had surgery on Saturday to fix a sports hernia. He will likely miss two or three months of action.
“Inter Miami CF today has provided an injury update presented by Baptist Health for midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi. Cremaschi has undergone a surgery at Baptist Health to repair a sports hernia, and is expected to be available for team selection in two to three months”, the Herons said in a statement.
When will Cremaschi return?
Cremaschi will return around the halfway point of the 2024 MLS regular season, according to the club’s timeframe. However, until then, the squad will face a very hazardous midfield scenario without him and Farias.
Last year, the American suddenly became a major player for the club, solidifying his role and forming strong on-field bonds with players like Lionel Messi. With four goals and six assists in 41 games, he was an integral part of the team’s success last season.
Because Tata Martino often used an overabundance of defensive midfielders, the midfield might have used Cremaschi’s dynamic presence. Following his impressive play, the 18-year-old earned a call to the US men’s national team.
Test of Miami’s depth
Sergio Busquets, Gregore, Diego Gomez, David Ruiz, and a few more can all fill in for injured starters in the centre of the field for Miami. Considering the four tournaments spread throughout the year, the squad requires all the depth it can muster.
As they compete in the league, the Leagues Cup, and the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Herons will need to have a deep bench this year. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets obviously can’t participate in more than one match per week.
However, David Beckham may could have to bring in a new player soon. Especially, since his side lost Cremaschi for a while and Farias for the season, two players who were supposed to be pivotal.
The early start of the 2024 season will immediately test the team’s depth like never before. To kick off the new campaign, LA Galaxy will play host to Messi in Los Angeles on February 25 as part of a double-header week. After that, they will go to the Champions Cup round of 16 in March.
The starting XI on the roster is top-notch by Major League Soccer standards. Nevertheless, whether or not Miami can advance to the playoffs depends on their ability to deal without some of their most talented players.
Photo credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire