Inter Miami lineup vs. Al Ahly: Predicted XI for Club World Cup Group A opener

Inter Miami could be without five players for their opening Group A fixture at the FIFA Club World Cup against Al Ahly on Sunday (BST).

Star left-back Jordi Alba and centre back Gonzalo Lujan were both absent from training earlier this week due to unspecified muscle injuries and they have emerged as doubts along with Yannick Bright, David Ruiz (both hamstring) and Drake Callender (groin).

However, Oscar Ustari and Tomas Aviles have returned to training following injury setbacks last month and they are both in contention to feature in some capacity against Al Ahly.

All eyes will be on eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who returned to team training with the Herons on Wednesday after representing Argentina during the international break; he was substituted early in a 1-1 draw with Colombia in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.

Messi, who has scored 15 goals in 20 matches for Inter Miami this year, is expected to start as captain alongside fellow experienced frontman Luis Suarez, who has eight goals and nine assists to his name in 21 games.

Head coach Javier Mascherano is expected to stick with a 4-4-2 formation, with 36-year-old Sergio Busquets and 20-year-old Benjamin Cremaschi set to link arms in the centre of midfield as Tadeo Allende and Telasco Segovia operate out wide.

Should Alba and Lujan not be fit to feature, highly-rated left-back Noah Allen and central defender David Martinez could be handed starts in the back four alongside Maximiliano Falcon and Marcelo Weigandt, protecting goalkeeper Ustari between the sticks.

Inter Miami possible starting lineup:

Ustari; Weigandt, Falcon, Lujan, Allen; Allende, Cremaschi, Busquets, Segovia; Messi, Suarez

Written by
Oliver Thomas