The Vancouver Whitecaps have told fans not to expect to see Inter Miami CF stars Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets in their game Saturday at BC Place.
“Although we have not received an official update on the availability of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets for this weekend, we understand that they will not be making this trip. Unfortunately, we have no control over who plays for our opponent and it was important for us to communicate this. to our fans as soon as possible,” Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said in a statement.
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If the three former Barcelona stars do not travel, it will not be due to injury, and sources told ESPN that they are all fit.
Messi, Suárez and Busquets participated in Miami's open training on Tuesday night at Chase Stadium, completing the hour-long session and interacting with season ticket holders after the exercises.
Inter Miami has yet to comment in response to its opponent's press release.
Saturday's game marks the first time Inter Miami and Vancouver Whitecaps have met in MLS, with the schedule preventing teams from opposing conferences from facing each other.
“We always want our best players to go up against our opponent's best players, and going up against players of the highest pedigree was especially exciting for our team,” the Whitecaps added in their statement. “We know there will be many disappointed fans as well. We remain committed to making this a special experience for everyone. It will continue to be an incredible atmosphere and a celebration of football for our city. We have incredible fans, we are a good team and the game on Saturday “It's a very important home game for us.”
The Whitecaps are expecting a record crowd in the MLS era on Saturday, selling out tickets and hosting “the largest street party in team history.” Vancouver will offer fans a 50% discount on all food and drink inside the stadium to mitigate any disappointment should Messi, Suarez and Busquets not travel for the match.
