The arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami was undoubtedly a turning point not only for the team but for the entire MLS.

All eyes around the world were on the Florida-based team, not only in terms of attention but also in terms of performance.

The team began to achieve results and dream of making it to the playoffs.

However, following Messi's injury, those dreams are fading away.

Inter Miami's head coach, Gerardo "Tata" Martino, admitted that the chances of his team making it to the playoffs are diminishing.

He acknowledged that it's almost certain they will be left out, as he mentioned in a press conference:

"The chances where the situation depended on us are over. Now, there are slim chances, but we no longer have full control. I am left with the sadness that our chances are fading. We no longer have control over our destiny."

When Will Messi Return?

Lionel Messi hasn't played since September 20, when he was on the field for 38 minutes in Inter Miami's 4-0 victory over Toronto FC, where he suffered a muscular problem that has kept him sidelined for the time being.

In response to this, Martino mentioned that we may see 'La Pulga' back in action very soon.

"Messi is getting closer to returning to play. As we said, we will evaluate until Friday to see if he is in condition [to play]. The most important thing is that he is leaving the injury behind, slowly finding his best form, and has been training very well with the medical department. After that, we will see what is most convenient."

Everything Messi. Half the Price

A bleak outlook for Inter Miami

Currently, the Florida-based team is second-to-last in the Eastern Conference of the MLS with just 33 points, trailing the playoff spots by 5 points with 3 games left to play.

Messi and his teammates will need a combination of results to make it to the playoffs, having only earned two points out of the 12 available since the Argentine got injured, resulting from two draws and two losses in four matches.