When will Lionel Messi return from his ankle injury? Inter Miami coach Tata Martino offers a worrying update on the star.

Inter Miami manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has admitted that he and the team still don’t know when Lionel Messi will return to action.

Messi became a Copa America champion for the second time against Colombia last month while with Argentina. However, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was injured during the match and has yet to return to action with Inter Miami. Coach Martino has acknowledged that he does not know when Messi will be able to return to the field.

Speaking to the media, Martino said: “Leo is progressing as expected, but there is still no precise date for when he could rejoin the group. He continues to work separately.”

“Leo’s absence affects us in different ways. Sometimes his absence is aggravated by the absence of other key players. But even when he is the only one missing, he is a significant factor. We have aimed to build not only a competitive team but also a competitive squad.”

“When everyone is available, we are much more reliable and able to really compete. Our priority is to resolve the situation with Leo as quickly as possible, while maintaining our competitiveness in his absence.”

Inter Miami is currently in the process of defending the Leagues Cup title it won last year thanks to the experience of Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba along with the exquisite form of Robert Taylor. However, despite their Argentine star being injured, the team has performed well in both the Leagues Cup and Major League Soccer. Inter Miami leads the MLS Eastern Conference and is in the round of 16 of the Leagues Cup.

Messi has reportedly returned to the training ground but has only been training privately and has not joined the team’s training sessions. The Argentine is unlikely to be able to return until the end of the month.