Chicago Fire coach gives Mbokazi injury update ahead of Messi clash
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Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter has provided an injury update on defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi ahead of their Major League Soccer (MLS) clash against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami on Thursday.
The 20-year-old centre-half has been ruled out of action since mid-July as a thigh tear derailed his progress after catching the eye in the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada.
Notably, he was initially scheduled to undergo surgery in Finland, but Chicago Fire pulled the plug on the proposed treatment as it would have ended his season, with the club still in contention to win the MLS Cup.
While the Bafana international is still expected to miss a considerable amount of time in the ongoing campaign, the MLS side are hopeful of of utilizing his services in the closing stages as he participated in light training last Friday.
The former Orlando Pirates stalwart, however, is set to miss the tie against Inter Miami, alongside Portuguese midfielder Andre Franco, who also partook in a light training session after tearing his ACL last September.
“Mbokazi and Andre are out [against Inter Miami] obviously. Andre was able to join the team in partial training on Sunday, and had a real intensive session today [Monday], so they're all making progress,” said Berhalter as per MIR97 Media.
Chicago Fire, meanwhile, currently sit third on the MLS Eastern Conference standings as they accumulated 38 points from 22 league outings, while Messi's side are in second place with 43 points amassed from 23 games.
With both teams boasting established superstars from Europe's top five leagues, it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious in the much-anticipated top-of-the-table affair at Soldier Field.
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