Messi misses U.S. Open Cup final due to lingering injury

Lionel Messi was not included in the squad for Wednesday night's U.S. Open Cup final against the Houston Dynamo due to a lingering muscle issue.

The Argentine hasn't played since leaving last week's 4-0 win over Toronto FC in the first half. He didn't travel with the team for Sunday's draw with Orlando City. Teammate Jordi Alba, who also departed the contest against TFC, joined Messi on the sidelines for Wednesday's clash.

Without their talisman, Inter Miami ultimately fell 2-1 to Houston, coming up short in their bid for a second trophy in club history.

Miami remained coy about the nature of the captain's injury in the buildup to Wednesday's final. Fatigue was originally cited as the reason Messi didn't play against Atlanta United upon his return from international duty earlier this month. But manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino revealed last week that scar tissue from an old injury is the source of the problem.

Messi, 36, has missed three matches for club and country this month; he also sat out Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia on Sept. 12.

Martino, who said during Tuesday's pre-match press conference that Messi would be a game-time decision, noted that the team would have ruled him out well in advance if there wasn't a trophy on the line.

"If it wasn't a final, we wouldn't take any risk, but because it is a final, there is a chance we take that risk," Martino admitted.

Ultimately, the risk was too great - especially with the club still pushing for a playoff spot in Major League Soccer.

Martino and Inter Miami are trying to manage Messi's workload ahead of another congested set of matches. With the postseason in sight, Miami plays three league games in quick succession following Wednesday's U.S. Open Cup final, including a critical battle with New York City FC on Saturday. Inter Miami sit just five points behind NYCFC for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They also have two games in hand.