Could Lionel Messi miss MLS All-Star Game in Columbus following Copa America injury?
Lionel Messi's Columbus debut might be delayed after he suffered a right ankle injury in the Copa America final on Sunday, less than two weeks before the MLS All-Star game at Lower.com Field.
Representing Argentina, Messi took a non-contact fall in the second half of the tournament final win over Colombia. After seeking medical evaluation immediately and staying down for several minutes, Messi walked off the field and was substituted near the 65-minute mark.
This puts Messi's status for the All-Star Game into question, with the severity of his injury yet to be revealed by either Argentina's national team or his MLS club, Inter Miami.
The MLS All-Star game, in which Messi was one of the 12 players to make the MLS roster by fan vote, is scheduled for July 24. This was the first time Messi has been eligible for the game after joining Miami at midseason last year.
Since Messi was a late-season addition to the league, he missed Miami's match against the Crew in Columbus last year.
If Messi were to skip the All-Star Game, this would be the second time this season the forward missed a contest relating to Columbus, as Messi was unavailable for the Miami-Crew game in Miami on June 19, due to training for Copa America. The Crew have a home match against Miami on Oct. 2.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will Lionel Messi miss MLS All-Star Game following Copa America injury
