Dean Smith said that Charlotte FC were planning for their clash this weekend with Inter Miami with or without the "unbelievable" Lionel Messi. 

Messi has missed Miami's last two games after worries of fatigue, but could return for Javier Mascherano's side ahead of their meeting with the Crown at the Chase Stadium. 

Charlotte followed up their season-opening draw with the Seattle Sounders with a 2-0 win over Atlanta United, and have an impressive record over Miami in the MLS. 

Indeed, of their four meetings in the league, Charlotte have lost just once (W1 D2), but Smith still believes the Supporters' Shield winners are the team to beat this season. 

"Well, results-wise, it hasn't looked too different, has it?," Smith said. "We're still looking up at them in the table, and we want to beat them and compete with them. 

"Whether they have Messi or not, they have still got good players. He is the world's best, he scores and creates unbelievable goals, but we also have to plan for him and without him because we are not in control of that. 

"We won't change too much from last season with how we approach the game. We felt we could compete with them and hopefully beat them. 

"We have to go with the same mindset that we can go and compete with them. The way I look at it, they are the team to beat once again this season."

Inter Miami, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their 2-0 win over Cavalier FC in the first leg of the round of 16 series in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

After starting their season with a 2-2 draw against New York City FC, Mascherano got his first MLS victory on the board with a win over the Houston Dynamo last time out. 

And though their performance in midweek was not their best, Mascherano insisted that his team must navigate the early teething problems during his tenure in order to succeed. 

"We are a team. It is impossible for a team to always play the same way. We were coming off a great game in Houston," Mascherano said.

"Well, we have to learn how to play badly. You can live with that, and you can get good results, and you can play badly without suffering. It's part of the learning process."

The Miami head coach was also able to give an update on Messi's fitness ahead of this weekend's game, insisting that the Argentine was not injured. 

"I follow what the doctors tell me. The doctors told me that he doesn't have any injuries or scars. He is fatigued after playing three games in six days," Mascherano added. 

"The changes in weather, there have been a lot of situations. And since we want to take care of him, and we didn't want to make him feel fatigued, we decided to give him rest, knowing the risks we're facing.

"Obviously, not having the best player in the world is complicated. But we also have to take a step forward and know how to play without him."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter Miami – Luis Suarez

Suarez had a goal and three assists in Miami's win over Houston, and he will be keen to play a starring role if Messi is absent this weekend. 

Indeed, it was the first time he recorded four goal contributions in a league match since scoring once and assisting three times in a win for Barcelona over Alaves in February 2018 in LaLiga. 

Charlotte - Pep Biel

With an assist in the season-opening draw in Seattle and a goal in the win over Atlanta, Biel became the first player in Charlotte's MLS history to contribute a goal in each of the club's first two games of a season.

He also ended the contest against Atlanta with a team-high expected goals (xG) total of 0.82, while also recording more touches in the opposition's box (eight) than any of his team-mates. 

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN

Miami are unbeaten in a club-record 13 straight regular-season matches (W9 D4) dating back to last July. The only longer streak since the start of the 2021 season was a 15-match run by Real Salt Lake between March and June last year. 

Despite Miami being favoured by Opta's data-led simulations, Smith's side have held Miami to 1.25 goals per match (five) over those four games. Only FC Cincinnati (1.0) has allowed fewer goals per match against the Herons since Messi made his MLS debut in August 2023 (minimum two games).

And Charlotte are also on a winning run of their own, going unbeaten in a club-record seven straight regular-season matches dating back to last year (W5 D2). They have also scored multiple goals in each of the last five of those matches, also the longest streak in team history.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter Miami – 56%

Draw – 22.8%

Charlotte – 21.3%