Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino acknowledged that Luis Suárez constantly suffers from a swollen knee and has to work through the pain “week by week” in order to be able to play with the Garzas throughout the season.
Suarez did not play in the MLS All-Star game because the team said he was unable to travel due to knee inflammation. Martino later indicated that his participation in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup opener against Puebla at Chase Stadium on Saturday night would be a last-minute decision, before the Uruguayan legend played for 85 minutes in the 2-0 win.
“Good, [I substituted him in the 85th minute] “Because this situation of having a swollen knee is not something that has happened recently,” Martino said at the post-match press conference.
“Maybe there were other cases where we didn't even know about it. Now we had to say it publicly because he didn't go to the All-Star Game, but it's a knee that he works on permanently, week after week.
“There are days that are better, there are weeks that are not.”
During his time at Brazilian club Gremio, Suarez revealed that he suffered from osteoarthritis in his right knee and considered retiring due to the injury.
“I feel pain, my body speaks for me. I want to enjoy and then decide for myself after a long career. I need to rest, enjoy my family… then fate will know where I will be in the future,” Suarez said in December.
Despite knee issues, Suarez has been an integral part of Inter Miami's recent success. He has scored 12 goals and provided five assists during the Major League Soccer regular season, propelling the Herons to first place in the Eastern Conference table.
He also marked his Leagues Cup debut with a goal against Puebla, helping the reigning champions get the 2024 edition off to a flying start.
While Martino admitted Inter Miami will look at the Leagues Cup differently than the team did in 2023, a trophy remains the priority.
“Our vision for this tournament is clearly different from the vision we had for this same tournament a year ago. A year ago we were at the bottom of the league and today we are in first place,” Martino said of Miami's defense of its crown.
“But we don't see any reason, at least today, to be cautious because we played a week ago, we'll play again in a week and well, then we'll see if we have a chance to advance and how we move within a tournament that is really very demanding and exhausting. It's clear that our vision, at least this year, is totally different.”
Inter Miami continues its League Cup campaign against Tigres on Saturday night at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
