Inter Miami will not take any risks with Lionel Messi's fitness, coach Javier Mascherano said after the Argentine returned from injury with a goal against the Philadelphia Union.

Having missed Argentina's recent World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to adductor and thigh discomfort, Messi was named on the bench for Saturday's meeting between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. 

He came on with Miami 1-0 up in the 55th minute and took just two minutes to get on the scoresheet, gliding past a couple of challenges before coolly rolling a right-footed shot across goal and in as Miami went on to win 2-1.

Messi has now contributed three goals and two assists in his last four MLS matches, while Miami are a point clear at the top of the East with a game in hand. 

On Wednesday, they visit Los Angeles FC for the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final tie, but Mascherano is unsure whether Messi will start that game.

"Obviously we wanted Leo to have minutes," Mascherano told reporters after the win.

"Today with the additional time, he played a little more, but he felt very good. We did not want to risk him from the beginning.

"The plan is obviously that he can recover and travel to Los Angeles. We haven't taken a risk with him.

"Maybe he wasn't ready for 90 minutes, but it was good for him to play a total of 45 minutes with the added time.

"If nothing strange happens, the plan is for him to travel." 

Messi has contributed to 59 goals in all competitions since making his Miami debut in July 2023 (39 goals, 20 assists), with Denis Bouanga (73 – 50 goals, 23 assists) and Cucho Hernandez (62 – 44 goals, 18 assists) the only MLS players with more in that span.

Mascherano is in no doubt that his former Barcelona team-mate is the greatest to ever play the game, describing him as a complete player.

"I think Messi's the greatest player in history. There will never be another like him. It's impossible," Mascherano said.

"Twenty years as the top scorer... he is the total player. He can play as a striker, as a midfielder. Also if you put him to defend, he would be the best defender."