Leg injury forces two-game absence for Inter Miami's Jordi Alba

April 19 (UPI) -- Spanish defender Jordi Alba will miss Inter Miami's next two games because of a right leg muscle injury, Herons manager Tata Martino told reporters Friday.

Alba exited in the 78th minute of the Herons' 3-2 win over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday in Kansas City, Mo. The Herons will host Nashville SC in another MLS match Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

They will take on the New England Revolution in another league game April 27 in Foxborough, Mass.

"He had a muscle injury," Martino said Friday. "So, surely for this game and the next, he will be out. From that moment on, we will begin to evaluate [Alba] game-by-game."

Alba, 35, totaled one goal and one assist through nine MLS appearances this season. He did not register a goal or assist in three Concacaf Champions Cup games. Alba recorded one goal in seven MLS matches in 2023.

The Herons (4-2-3) are in first place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings.

Martino said Friday he expects star strike Lionel Messi to remain in the Herons' starting lineup. Messi totaled five goals and a team-leading five assists through five MLS appearances this season.

Fellow Herons striker Luis Suarez is tied for the MLS lead with six goals through his eight appearances.

The Herons will host Nashville SC at 7:30 p.m. EDT Saturday at Chase Stadium. That match will air on Apple TV.