Fullback Jordi Alba, fellow defender Gonzalo Lujan and defensive midfielder Yannick Bright have all been ruled out of the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium.

“They are not available for this game, hopefully they will be for the second game,” Mascherano told a press conference on Friday. Alba, one of Messi’s former Barcelona teammates, is sidelined with a hamstring issue. There were also concerns regarding the fitness of centre back David Martinez.

“David had some kind of pain yesterday and we did not want to take any risks,” said Mascherano.

“The reality is that throughout the season, the team have dealt with injuries, but the players who stepped in rose to the challenge. That gives us peace of mind,” he said. Miami have conceded 16 goals in their last six competitive games.

Much of Miami’s chances rest on Messi’s shoulders.

“He’s in good shape this season. There were moments when we had to give him some time to rest, but he’s played the last 15 games, except for the match against Dallas when we rested the entire squad,” said Mascherano.

--SABC--