The PCB has not named a replacement yet for Sarfraz Ahmed who is flying back home to attend to his ailing mother

Umar Farooq10-Jan-2017

Pakistan vice-captain and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed is likely to return home after his mother was admitted to the Intense Care Unit (ICU) in Karachi, the team manager told ESPNcricinfo.Sarfraz was rested from the Pakistanis’ warm-up game against Cricket Australia XI on Tuesday in Brisbane. Mohammad Rizwan, the other wicketkeeper on tour, kept wickets and scored a run-a-ball 22 not out in the visitors’ 196-run win after scoring 334 for 7. While the PCB is yet to name Sarfraz’s replacement, Kamran Akmal could be in line for a recall after he scored 1035 runs at an average of 79.61 in this season’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.Incidentally, fast bowler Mohammad Irfan left the ODI squad on Monday following the death of his mother and Junaid Khan was named replacement.

West Indies allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Carlos Brathwaite as well as England batsman Alex Hales are among the prominent players who have been ruled out of the second season of Pakistan Super League which begins on February 9.Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal of Bangladesh and Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, will only be only partially available. A number of reasons have forced the changes, from injury to some players to others not getting no-objection certificates to scheduling clashes with international cricket.

Squad changes

Peshawar Zalmi
In: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Marlon Samuels, Andre Fletcher
Out: Shakib Al Hasan, Alex Hales, Mohammad Shahzad
Quetta Gladiators
In: Moeen Ali, Nathan McCullum, Thisara Perera, Rilee Rossouw
Out: Carlos Brathwaite, David Willey, Rovman Powell, Mohammad Nabi
Lahore Qalandars
In: James Franklin, Chris Green, Jason Roy
Out: Anton Devcich, Shaun Tait, Dwayne Bravo

Each PSL team has a squad of 16, plus four supplement players. Overseas players among supplements are automatically available for selection. But the local players will only get to play if someone from the main squad is injured. A short player draft was thus held in Lahore on Monday to allow the five franchises to replenish their supply of overseas talent.Lahore Qalandars chose Jason Roy, the England opener, to fill in for Bravo for the first five matches. Bravo suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League earlier this month. He said he would be undergoing surgery and recovering in time for the PSL in February seemed unlikely.Lahore have also called up James Franklin, the New Zealand allrounder, to take the place of his countryman Anton Devcich, whose knee injury has flared back up. Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait was the third Lahore player ruled out – due to shoulder problems – and has been replaced by Sydney Thunder offspinner Chris Green.Andre Russell, who hurt his hamstring and knee in the BBL, is another high-profile player who might not play the PSL this season.Russell, who helped Islamabad United win the title last February, is also awaiting the verdict from an anti-doping hearing and if found guilty, he could be banned for a maximum of two years. Although Islamabad did not drop Russell at the draft, it is understood England fast bowler Steven Finn has been kept on standby.Quetta Gladiators decided to swap Brathwaite for England allrounder Moeen Ali after learning he would not be available for the entire duration of the league.Shakib Al Hasan has been replaced by Tillakaratne Dilshan by Peshawar Zalmi•AFP

With the WICB making it mandatory for players to take part in the domestic one-day competition to earn a national call-up, Brathwaite committed to the Regional Super50, which continues till February 18, nine days after the start of the PSL. Additionally, it is likely that he will be with the West Indies side when they take on England at home in the first week of March, which is when the PSL knockouts are scheduled.Quetta have also dropped England fast bowler David Willey and bought back a player they relinquished at the October draft – New Zealand offspinner Nathan McCullum. Sri Lanka allrounder Thisara Perera joined them as well, taking the spot of West Indies batsman Rovman Powell, who will be busy with the Regional Super50.Shakib and Tamim were set to miss the initial part of the PSL in any case, as they will be involved in Bangladesh’s one-off Test against India starting from February 9. Both men were due to fly out to Dubai and join Peshawar Zalmi the day after the Test ends. For now though the franchise has named former Sri Lanka batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan as a replacement for Shakib. Peshawar have also brought in senior West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels for Hales, who is nursing a fractured hand.PSL rules state that a team can keep five overseas players in the squad at any given time. With Hales ruled out Peshawar currently have six but on February 21, when Morgan leaves to captain England in the Caribbean, that count will dip again. It will sink below the required limit if a Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka in February is confirmed. While it is learnt Shakib and Tamim will ask the BCB’s approval to rejoin the team if they make it to the final, Peshawar are in talks with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and are expected to recruit one of their players on Tuesday.Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad will miss the PSL since it runs parallel to the Afghanistan-Zimbabwe limited-overs series. Quetta have replaced Nabi with Rilee Rossouw, who recently ended his South Africa career by signing Kolpak deal, and Peshawar have called up West Indies opener Andre Fletcher as cover for Shahzad.The PSL will organise another draft in the final week of February featuring those foreign players who are willing to go to Lahore where organisers say the final will be staged.

Aston Villa could potentially make a move for Villarreal attacker Nicolas Jackson in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

Have Villa been linked with Jackson move?

The Villans had a memorable 2022/23 season in the end, overcoming a poor start to the season under Steven Gerrard to finish seventh in the Premier League, securing a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League in the process.

A hugely promising summer window is now about to get underway at Villa Park, with the owners making plenty of funds available for new signings as Villa look to find another level next term.

It could be that attacking reinforcements are at the top of Unai Emery's shopping list, and one player who has been linked in the past is Jackson, who the Villa boss worked with during his time in charge at Villarreal between.

The 21-year-old scored 12 goals and also chipped in with four assists in La Liga in 2022/23, and it could be that this summer is a chance for him to enjoy a new challenge. His current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, but it would be a surprise if he remained at Villarreal until then.

What's the latest on Jackson to Villa?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Taylor talked up Villa's chances of making a move for Jackson, also name-checking another former Emery player:

"From what I understand he likes Nicolas Jackson. I do think he could maybe look at some of his former Villarreal players for transfers to Aston Villa. Yeremy Pino, as well, is another one. Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao, too."

Jackson could be precisely what Villa are after this summer, bringing youth and freshness to the attack, not to mention providing Emery with more options ahead of their European commitments next season.

The fact that the Spaniard knows him so well can only be a good thing, too, making the move less risky and suggesting that the Villa boss will know exactly what he will get from him. A tally of 13 goals and six assists in 47 appearances for Villarreal is a good return for someone who is still so young, and he should only improve as the years pass.

The one-time Senegal international has been called "extraordinary" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and Villa snapping him this summer could signify a major statement of intent.

David Boon, Matthew Hayden and Betty Wilson will be inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame at the Allan Border Medal ceremony in Sydney on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2017Two of Australia’s finest modern top-order batsmen, Matthew Hayden and David Boon, and legendary women’s allrounder Betty Wilson will be inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame on Monday.Boon played 107 Tests from 1984 to 1996 and scored 7422 runs at 43.65, mostly as an opener and No.3 of tremendous fight, and he also featured in 181 one-day internationals. Since retirement, he served as an administrator with Cricket Tasmania and as a national selector, and in 2011 took up a position as an ICC match referee.”David Boon was a key figure in the rise of the Australia side under Allan Border that went from easy-beats to winners of the ICC Cricket World Cup in India and Pakistan in 1987 and then the best Test side in the world,” Peter King, the Hall of Fame chairman, said.”He was player of the match in the 1987 World Cup final against England and was a reassuring presence either as opener or number three with more than 13,000 international runs across more than a decade at the highest level.”He played a crucial role in putting Tasmania cricket on the map and did much the same for English county side Durham, where he ended his career in 1999 with a tally of more than 23,000 first-class runs, plus more than 10,000 runs in List A cricket. He epitomises the tough-as-teak Australian cricketer and his induction into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame is thoroughly merited.”Hayden played 103 Tests from 1994 to 2009 and, with 8625 runs at 50.73, sits fifth on Australia’s list of all-time Test run scorers. An opener who combined patience with an ability to bully the bowlers, Hayden plundered 380 against Zimbabwe at the WACA in 2003, which was the highest Test score by any player until surpassed by Brian Lara’s 400 the following year.”Matthew Hayden featured prominently in the Australia squads that went unbeaten to win successive ICC Cricket World Cups in 2003 and 2007,” King said, “and his role as an intimidating opening batsman and outstanding slip fielder mark him out as one of the greatest players this country has ever produced.”Wilson, who was sometimes known as the “female Bradman”, will be the second women’s cricketer in the Hall of Fame, after 2014 inductee Belinda Clark. Wilson, who died in 2010 at the age of 88, averaged 57.46 in Test cricket during the 1940s and 1950s, and took 68 wickets at the remarkable average of 11.80.She was the first player of either gender to score a century and take 10 wickets in a Test, doing so against England in Melbourne in 1958; two years later Alan Davidson became the first man to match the feat. In that same Test, Wilson also became the first woman to take a Test hat-trick.”Betty Wilson was a woman ahead of her time, thanks to her brilliant all-round skills as a batter and off-spinner,” King said. “It was cricket’s misfortune that she only played 11 Tests – due in part to World War II, but also because her career spanned a period when far fewer women’s cricket matches were played than in the modern era.”It is fantastic that Betty can take her rightful place in the pantheon of great cricketers produced by this country through her induction to the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and it is an honour that is wholly justified.”Boon, Hayden and Wilson will officially be inducted at the Allan Border Medal ceremony in Sydney on Monday evening, where the Betty Wilson Young Player of the Year Award will for the first time form part of the ceremony. This year’s group takes the number of Hall of Fame inductees to 46 since its inception in 1996.Hall of Fame inductees Warwick Armstrong, Richie Benaud, John Blackham, David Boon, Allan Border, Sir Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Alan Davidson, George Giffen, Adam Gilchrist, Clarrie Grimmett, Wally Grout, Neil Harvey, Lindsay Hassett, Matthew Hayden, Ian Healy, Clem Hill, Bill Lawry, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Charles Macartney, Rod Marsh, Stan McCabe, Glenn McGrath, Graham McKenzie, Keith Miller, Arthur Morris, Monty Noble, Bill O’Reilly, Bill Ponsford, Jack Ryder, Bob Simpson, Fred Spofforth, Mark Taylor, Jeff Thomson, Hugh Trumble, Victor Trumper, Charlie Turner, Doug Walters, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Betty Wilson, Bill Woodfull.

Everton are unlikely to complete the signing of Burnley striker Wout Weghorst this summer, according to a key update regarding his future.

What next for Weghorst this summer?

The 30-year-old joined Manchester United on loan during the January transfer window, but it was a move that ultimately failed to work out. He failed to score a single goal in 17 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils, and it became clear that he was not at the level required.

That's not to say that Weghorst didn't have the odd moment to cherish in 2022/23, however – Erik ten Had hailed his "great personality" at Old Trafford – scoring twice for the Netherlands in their World Cup quarter-final clash with Argentina, including a last-gasp strike that took the game to extra-time.

With United not deciding to sign the Dutchman permanently, though, and his Burnley contract expiring in the summer of 2025, his future could be up in the air this summer.

Everton have been linked with a move for the towering striker, with the Blues potentially seeing him as an effective addition to their attack before the start of next season, but a new claim suggests that such reports are wide of the mark.

Are Everton expected to sign Weghorst?

According to Football Insider, Everton are "not in the race" to snap up Weghorst in the summer, with the report stating that a "well-placed source has told this site that the Merseysiders will be in the market for a new forward – but the 30-year-old does not figure on Sean Dyche’s wanted list."

While he "doesn’t figure in the plans of Vincent Kompany at parent club Burnley", it seems highly unlikely that Goodison Park will be his next destination.

In truth, Weghorst would feel like a risky signing by Everton this summer, considering the struggles he endured at United, lacking ruthlessness in the final third and looking too one-dimensional, given his height and lack of pace.

The Blues need to be bringing in someone who can guarantee a more regular stream of end product, not to mention an individual who possesses more pace and trickery, ensuring the Merseysiders become a more potent attacking force next season.

Just 34 goals in 38 Premier League games in 2022/23 sums up their struggles in that area, and if at least one top-quality striker isn't added, they could again find themselves in trouble towards the bottom of the table.

Chelsea reportedly gave Arsenal a free run at £105 million ($128m) Declan Rice as they considered that transfer fee to include “an English premium”.

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• Midfielder spent time in Blues' academy
• No effort made to bring him back
• Spent big on alternative options instead

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blues had been heavily linked with the England international midfielder for some time heading into the summer window of 2023. Having previously had Rice within their academy system, the expectation was that efforts would be made to take him back to Stamford Bridge.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  That did not happen, with Arsenal instead completing a club-record deal with London neighbours West Ham. According to , Chelsea did not make an approach as they thought Rice’s asking price was being over-inflated – as is often the case with English players moving between Premier League clubs.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Chelsea also passed up opportunities to table bids for James Maddison and James Ward-Prowse, as they prepared to head for the exits at relegated Leicester and Southampton respectively. The Blues ended up spending more on Cole Palmer than Tottenham paid for Maddison and £20m ($24m) more on 19-year-old Romeo Lavia than West Ham splashed out on Ward-Prowse.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Questions continue to be asked of Chelsea’s elaborate spending – which has passed £1 billion ($1.2bn) across three windows – with their decision to pass on Rice made all the more confusing by the fact that they went on to invest £115m ($140m) in prising Moises Caicedo away from another domestic rival in the form of Brighton.

The left-arm spinner dismissed Ishan Porel off the last ball of the match to ensure that the fifth ODI between England Under-19s and India Under-19s ended in a thrilling tie

The Report by Nikhil Kalro in Mumbai08-Feb-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Delray Rawlins fell for a sluggish 17•PTI

A see-saw contest, in which ball dominated bat, came down to the final ball. India Under-19s required one run with one wicket in hand. With the field in, left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White tossed the last ball up and No. 10 Ishan Porel chipped a catch to short cover, resulting in a thrilling tie at the Wankhede Stadium to end the five-match series.With six required off the last over, No. 11 Heramb Parab played out two dot balls, then scythed a boundary in front of point. A dot ball and a single to deep midwicket off the next two deliveries meant India couldn’t lose.In a game of fine margins, the difference may have been the one run that Porel didn’t complete when turning for a second leg-bye in the penultimate over. Henry Brookes produced figures of 3 for 30 in a disciplined spell of fast bowling.Defending 226, England’s seamers learnt from their mistakes in the previous game. On a green surface, they resisted bowling short, choosing a good length or a fuller length instead. With some lateral movement and bounce on offer, they extracted enough to trouble India’s top order, repeatedly beating batsmen on the outside edge.Priyam Garg popped a catch to short midwicket in the first over, closing his bat face too early. Abhishek Sharma was caught at slip, driving loosely away from his body. In the 12th over, Manjot Kalra slapped a drive to cover, off Arthur Godsal, where Tom Banton took a sharp reverse-cupped catch. In his next over, Godsal had Mayank Rawat caught down the leg side, gloving a pull. India were reduced to 54 for 4 at this stage.S Radhakrishnan, one of nine inclusions for India, was loose outside the off stump early. He gradually gained fluency as his innings progressed, though. He struck a few well-timed drives and was strong on the pull. When on 65, Radhakrishnan chipped a catch to deep midwicket off Delray Rawlins. India slumped to 137 for 7, and it seemed like the game was out of reach. “I felt like the game had gone,” India U-19 coach Rahul Dravid said after the match.Ayush Jamwal and Yash Thakur then combined to add 65 for the eighth wicket to accentuate England’s frustration, taking India close enough to the target. After Jamwal was caught at fine leg, India still needed 25 off 20 balls. Delray Rawlins, Arthur Godsal and Jack Blatherwick picked up two wickets each.After being inserted, England’s top order failed to capitalise on starts, much like the rest of the series. Harry Brook (14), Tom Banton (16) and Rawlins (17) were all dismissed by India’s seamers as England crawled to 64 for 3 in the 17th over.Again, the rebuilding work was left to George Bartlett and Ollie Pope. While Pope was more circumspect against a decent attack, Bartlett repeatedly found the boundary off the seamers.All five wickets taken by India’s spinners were a result of England’s batsmen playing for turn that wasn’t there. Bartlett hit two sixes during his 47 before he missed a straight one from left-arm spinner Shiva Singh. Stand-in captain Max Holden was caught at slip, playing inside the line of a delivery from Jamwal.Will Jacks, who struck 28 off 34 balls with two fours and a huge six over midwicket, missed a non-turning offbreak from Mayank Rawat, and was stumped. Pope was bowled attempting to cut a slider and Liam Patterson-White was pinned in front after missing a sweep. At that stage, England had been reduced to 187 for 8 after 43 overs.However, some handy lower-order cameos propped up England towards the end. Godsal, who hit an unbeaten 19, should have been run-out at the striker’s end, attempting to complete a second run but a fielder had blocked the umpire’s view trying to back up the throw.

In his first innings since July 2016, AB de Villiers helped himself to an unbeaten 134 off 103 for Northerns in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2017In his first innings since July 2016, AB de Villiers helped himself to an unbeaten 134 off 103 for Northerns in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge. The knock comes as he prepares for a likely South Africa return in the third T20I against Sri Lanka in Cape Town.At the end of a week where de Villiers’ plans for his international future have been a major topic, he was finally able to return to run-scoring after overcoming the elbow injury he picked up at last year’s CPL.Even taking into account the lower standard of his comeback match, it was a notable return for de Villiers given his lack of cricket. Batting at No. 3, he was given the maximum chance for a lengthy innings when opener Jonathan Vandiar was lbw first ball of Northerns’ chase.De Villiers proceeded to reach a century off 87 deliveries – his second fifty needing 37 balls – and finished the match with consecutive sixes. In total he struck 19 fours and three sixes in just over two hours in the middle.The final T20I against Sri Lanka had been earmarked for de Villiers’ return ahead of the one-day series and the limited-overs leg of the New Zealand tour. He has already made himself unavailable for Test cricket for most of 2017, suggesting a comeback will come at home against India late in the year should that series be confirmed.Morne Morkel, who has been out of action as long as de Villiers with a back injury, was also due to play in the game but doubt was cast on his availability when he showed some symptoms of the same issue last week. Morkel did not play the match and there is continued uncertainty over when he will make his return.

Chelsea are expected to have another busy transfer window, as Mauricio Pochettino prepares for his first summer in charge of the Blues.

After spending a figure over £500m in the two transfer windows last season, things failed to click at Stamford Bridge, leaving the Argentinian with a clean-up operation ahead of the next campaign.

The latest drop of transfer news suggests that Chelsea could consider a move for two Premier League aces, with one in particular that could benefit Pochettino’s midfield.

What’s the latest on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea?

As reported by 90min on Thursday, Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo is a wanted man in west London.

The report suggests that Chelsea could consider a ‘double swoop’ for the services of Declan Rice and Caicedo.

A separate report from The Telegraph states that the Seagulls will demand a price that could exceed the £70m mark for the Ecuadorian this summer.

What could Moises Caicedo bring to Chelsea?

Lauded as a “monster” by sports scientist Dr Rajpal Brar, the 21-year-old is a player wanted by a host of clubs after an impeccable season on the south coast.

The Brighton ace won an average of 58% of his total duels this season, averaging a monstrous 5.9 per game and asserting himself as one of the league’s best defensive midfielders, via Sofascore.

His presence could be crucial to Chelsea’s midfield, which requires some structure from Pochettino to fully utilise the talents of British record signing Enzo Fernandez, who joined the club in January for £106.8m.

While the talent of Fernandez is undoubted, the Blues are yet to see his full potential, which could be unlocked by having a partner such as Caicedo, who is an engine in midfield.

As per FBref, the two are extremely similar in their capabilities, however, Enzo prevails as a slightly better ball-player than the 21-year-old, averaging a huge 9.25 progressive passes per 90 to Caicedo's 6.28.

A pattern is followed in the Brighton gem’s favour in terms of defensive attributes, averaging more interceptions & tackles per 90 than the Argentinian and a significantly better outlet of aerial protection, with 1.06 aerials won to Enzo’s 0.47 per 90.

Chelsea picked up the ex-Benfica ace for good reason, with the midfielder forming a deadly partnership in Portugal with former teammate Florentino Luiz, lauded as the Eagles’ “anchor”.

Pochettino could therefore get the best out of the 22-year-old by signing Caicedo, who could act as a dominant defensive partner for the World Cup winner in a similar system to how he played at the Amex beside the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Billy Gilmour.

But with Arsenal chasing the Ecuadorian in a saga ongoing from January, Chelsea will have to act fast in their efforts to capture the youngster’s signature.

The Argentine ace has been criticized in some quarters for doing very little running during games but it's wholly understandable…

It's become quite clear that, at some point, Inter Miami are going to have to win without Lionel Messi. They basically did it in their most recent match, a 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls that saw Messi come off the bench to seal the win with a dazzling late goal.

But, even so, that was still a cameo, and a Messi cameo is still a massive advantage in MLS. It's also a luxury Miami won't have in the very near future as they prepare for some time without their superstar signing.

But how can Miami win without him and, as the season reaches its most important moments, why does Messi have to miss games in the first place?

The answer to the first question will come over the next month or two, while the answer to the last one has been made clear over the last week or so. With Miami pushing for a miracle run towards their playoffs, head coach Tata Martino is already making preparations for life without Messi.

(C)Getty ImagesIn need of a rest

There's a reason that Messi started on the bench against the Red Bulls: he was in need of a rest.

Since arriving in Miami, Messi played in eight games in just over a month leading up to that MLS debut. Those games came in five different cities, with Miami fortunate enough to host a few along the way through their Leagues Cup run.

It's a lot to ask a 36-year-old player that arrived fresh off a vacation. Messi has given his heart and soul to Miami since arriving, and has looked as happy as ever to do so, but the fact is that he isn't at the age where he can play two or three games a week for months at a time anymore.

“Leo and many other players are reaching an important physical limit," Martino said last week, "and from today we will start to evaluate this – how do I face at least the next three games? You also have to take into account the large number of games that we played in 45, 50 days.”

Because of that, Martino gave him 30 minutes off the bench against the Red Bulls. He entered with Miami up a goal and, by the end, they were up two thanks to Messi's brilliance.

Advertisement(C)GettyImagesThe master of walking

There has been some questioning, though, over Messi's need to rest. Why does a player that has become so famous for walking and not covering great distances require rest?

Especially in recent years, Messi's walking has become infamous. Statistically, he walked more than any other player at the 2022 World Cup, leaving his Argentina teammates to do the dirty work while he provided the magic.

Messi's walking, though, isn't out of laziness; it's by design. He's like a snake that's coiled up and waiting for the moment to strike. The second the defense loses track of him for one second, he's sprinting on by them for a game-changing goal.

Still, there are those that say Messi's playing style should make him less reliant on rest, with former U.S. men's national team star Alexi Lalas among those pointing out that Messi's legs probably won't be as tired as some of his teammates'.

“Load management? Messi walks around most of the game," Lalas tweeted. "Don't be so insecure. Messi has always walked…until it's time not to walk.”

Getty ImagesThe international break

It won't just be MLS games that will be tiring Messi out. No, the Argentine has international duty coming in the very near future.

Messi will join Argentina for the upcoming international break, which runs from September 4-12. That will rule him out of a match against Sporting KC on the ninth. There's another break in October, too, and Inter Miami do have a match the day after Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Peru on the 17th.

You have to account for travel, strain and tiredness when it comes to those international breaks and, as a result, Martino thinks Messi can miss up to three of Miami's 11 remaining MLS matches this season.

"It's something we have to get accustomed to," said Martino. "He's going to miss at least three games – he's going to get called up by his national team – and we need to keep winning."

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Getty ImagesNot the only one

Messi isn't the only Inter Miami star that could miss time for international soccer. No, the club could be totally decimated by call ups over the next two months.

DeAndre Yedlin, Josef Martinez, Drake Callendar, Kamal Miller, Diego Gomez, Leo Campana, Robert Taylor, Serhiy Kryvtsov, David Ruiz, Edson Azcona and Benjamin Cremachi could all be involved in international matches over the coming two windows. It's not a guarantee that all will leave, and some likely won't, but it's a lot of players to potentially lose for any period of time as Miami chase a postseason spot.

The good news is that the club reinforced this summer, and Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are obviously equipped to lead in Messi's absence. Players like Facundo Farias could certainly use the opportunity, while the club has done a good job of building up some of the homegrown stars mentioned above, not all of whom will be called in for international matches.

The good news? Martino dropped some news about next season, saying MLS plans to do away with the long-criticized scheduling that has seen teams play through the international breaks.

"I understand that they are analyzing that for next year," Martino said. "It is probable that that will happen."

Still, it'll be tricky to navigate in the here and now, especially given Miami's situation in MLS.