Jordi Alba suffered an apparent hamstring injury in Inter Miami’s 3-2 win against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday in what was another squad blow for the Herons.
The 35-year-old left-back has been a mainstay for Tata Martino this season with Alba appearing in all but one game this year for Inter Miami, with the veteran defender a key part in getting the best out of the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
With other Inter Miami teammates such as Franco Negri revealing they’re learning from Alba, the former Spanish international’s injury has come at the worst possible time for the Herons, who are currently focused on building up as many points as possible in MLS ahead of the summer.
And there’s now a timeline of sorts on when the former FC Barcelona star could be back.
Alba injury not serious but Inter Miami appearance this Saturday unlikely
As reported by the Miami Herald, Alba’s hamstring injury is not believed to be a serious one, with the defender missing training this week as the 35-year-old seeks to rehabilitate himself away from the soccer field.
However, as per the report, Alba is expected to at least miss this weekend’s clash against Nashville SC, with the Herons welcoming the Tennasse side to Chase Stadium this Saturday having already beaten the MLS franchise in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
With Inter Miami having options at left-back in Negri and Noah Allen, Alba’s absence for this weekend might not be the worst thing in the world for Martino, who now has a chance to experiment with his squad.
However, with Messi back to full fitness, missing out on Alba is massive, with the fullback one player who knows the Argentine inside-out and how to get the best out of the reigning Ballon d’Or holder’s attacking qualities.
Inter Miami’s other absentees hearing into Nashville clash
It isn’t just Alba who Inter Miami will be missing heading into this weekend’s big MLS tie against Nashville, with Martino also expected to be without a handful of big names.
As per the Miami Herald, Leonardo Campana, Robert Taylor, and Ian Fray all took part in individual training this week in their bids to return to match fitness as soon as possible
New signing Federico Redondo is still out on the treatment table and due to return to training in the next five weeks, whilst Facundo Farias remains unavailable for the season after injuring his ACL in pre-season.