Lionel Messi is set to miss Inter Miami’s forthcoming clash against Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati on Sunday morning, club co-owner Jorge Mas revealed. The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:45 AM Indian Standard Time (IST). Mas said Messi is 'very upset' after being handed a one-game suspension for failing to turn up for the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star Game - a punishment the Mas termed 'draconian'. Inter Miami will be without both Messi and Jordi Alba, as MLS rules state that any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to play in their club’s next match.

“Lionel Messi is very upset, like we all are in the club, with the fact that they won't be able to play tomorrow night. But I think what we have to do as a club is to get together as one, have an attitude that is us against the world,” Mas said at a news conference.

Mas also explained that the decision to rest the two players was made considering they had played nine games in a span of 36 days due to the heavily congested schedule of the CONCACAF Champions League and MLS.

“I think that the punishment for the rule is, frankly, draconian. Obviously, it was not a positive reaction [from Messi and Alba]. They want to compete, they want to play games. That’s what they’re here for—to play and win. They understand the magnitude of tomorrow night’s game.

“So no, their reaction was exactly as expected of two competitive players who don’t understand the decision, who don’t understand why not attending an exhibition match leads directly to a suspension,” he added.

Inter Miami are currently placed fifth in the Eastern Conference and are trailing leaders Cincinnati by seven points, making this a high-stakes clash between the two sides.