Inter Miami might still be in the middle of their 2025 Leagues Cup run, but they find themselves back in MLS regular-season action on Sunday in a visit to Florida rivals Orlando City SC.
It won’t be an easy task for the Herons, though, despite their good form. Orlando sits sixth in the Eastern Conference on 41 points, only one point behind Miami in fifth with 42, and both teams are also having to balance Leagues Cup knockout stages with MLS commitments.
Additionally, head coach Javier Mascherano will need to find a way forward without Lionel Messi, who returned to training on Saturday but is not yet ready to return after sustaining an injury against Necaxa.
Here’s how Mascherano may line up the Herons without Messi in a critical derby match.
Inter Miami Predicted Lineup vs. Orlando City (4-2-3-1)
GK: Rocco Rios Novo—The young goalkeeper has become the de facto starter for Miami due to the injuries to Drake Callender and Oscar Ustari.
RB: Marcelo Weigandt—The 25-year-old right back has 14 MLS appearances for Miami this season and has been one of the most reliable players.
CB: Maxi Falcon—Despite running into some discipline issues during Phase One of the Leagues Cup, Falcon remains a vital piece of Miami’s backline.
CB: Gonzalo Lujan—Amid a summer of change for Inter Miami, Lujan has become a key starter for the Herons at the back.
LB: Jordi Alba—One of several superstar signings in MLS, Alba remains one of the few defenders with such a resume to be in the league.
CDM: Sergio Busquets—The 2010 World Cup winner is one of 18 players to have won the trophy and played in MLS, recently joined by Thomas Müller.
CDM: Federico Redondo—Despite likely losing most of his role to De Paul, the injury to Messi allows Redondo to slide back into midfield alongside Busquets.
RW: Tadeo Allende—Tasked with leading the transition out wide, Allende’s cooperation with Suárez and De Paul is critical to Miami’s Messi-less success.
AM: Rodrigo De Paul—Fresh of scoring his first goal for the Herons, De Paul takes on his first MLS regular season match on Sunday.
LW: Telasco Segovia—With 10 goals in all competitions this season, Segovia will hope to carry his form into the derby match and the Leagues Cup knockouts.
READ THE LATEST INTER MIAMI NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Inter Miami Predicted Lineup vs. Orlando City: De Paul Set for MLS Debut.
