Lionel Messi: Inter Miami superstar RETURNS for MLS match against FC Cincinnati as he comes off the bench after recovering from injury

Lionel Messi came off the bench for Inter Miami in their crucial MLS showdown with FC Cincinnati after finally recovering from a muscle injury.

Messi, who had scored 11 goals in 12 appearances heading into the game, missed Miami’s last four matches in all competitions – including their loss to Houston Dynamo in the US Open Cup Final.

The Argentine had not played since September 20, when he left his side’s 4-0 victory over Toronto early with muscle discomfort.

Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets was included in the starting lineup, though there was no place for Jordi Alba in the 18-man roster as he continues to recover from his own injury.

Josef Martinez was leading the line with Facundo Farias in a game Miami could ill afford to drop points in, with coach Tata Martino also opting for extra protection with a back five.

Messi was making his long-awaited return after picking up a muscle injury last month

Captain DeAndre Yedlin started at right back, with Noah Allen deployed on the opposite side in between a center-back trio of Tomás Avilés, Serhiy Kryvtsov and Kamal Miller.

Miami’s faint hopes of snatching a place in the playoffs could be brought to an end if they suffer defeat against Cincinnati, which would allow Chicago and Montreal to mathematically rule them out of contention with victories of their own.

However, the hosts will be buoyed by the presence of Messi back on their bench, providing Martino with a legendary trump card at DRV PNK Stadium.

And 10 minutes into the second half, Messi made his long-awaited return when he replaced Tomás Avilés, sparking a rapturous reception from the home fans in attendance. 

The 36-year-old was healthy enough to be called up to the latest Argentina squad, with La Albiceleste naming him in their roster for this month’s World Cup qualifiers on Thursday.

Busquets said about his longtime teammate prior to Saturday’s game: ‘He is practically ready to return, which is great because he is a very important player and we need him; but he can’t force it because then we could lose him again.’ 

The Inter Miami star had missed the club’s last four matches in all competitions through injury 

Martino had also admitted: ‘I think he’s getting closer to playing again. We’ll evaluate him Friday to see if he’s in condition to play Saturday. The most important thing is him putting his injury behind and slowly returning to his best form.’ 

Miami is still alive for a playoff spot, but the club’s chances of making the postseason are slim.

The Herons are five points adrift of the postseason with just three more games to play, as Miami has 33 points and ninth-place Montreal has 38.

Due to injury and previous international duty with Argentina, Messi has made just four MLS appearances for Inter Miami.