Messi out for Inter Miami vs. Montreal Sunday. Suarez, Busquets on bench. Alba starting

Lionel Messi took his first rest of the 2024 season, sitting out the Sunday afternoon home game against CF Montreal.

Messi was listed as questionable with a shin injury on the MLS availability list released Friday night, and the official reason given for his absence Sunday was “rest,” per team officials. The 36-year-old Argentine star has played all four Inter Miami games so far this season and the decisive second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 is at home Wednesday against Nashville SC.

Miami is in the midst of a four-game, 12-day stretch.

Assistant coach Javi Morales had said Friday that a decision about Messi’s status would be made after talking with him and seeing how he felt, especially with another game on Wednesday.

Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez were on the game roster for Sunday’s game, but not in the starting lineup.

The starters are: Robert Taylor, Leo Campana, Lawson Sunderland, David Ruiz, Julian Gressel, Fede Redondo, Noah Allen, Sergiy Kryvtsov, Jordi Alba, Tomas Aviles, Drake Callender.

Alba (ill) and Campana (leg injury) had missed the Nashville game on Wednesday.

The bench: Busquets, Suarez, CJ Dos Santos, Ryan Sailor, Diego Gomez, Nico Freire, Shanyder Borgelin, Israel Boatwright.