Inter Miami boss Gerardo 'Tata' Martino could look to shake things up for his team's clash against Puebla in Leagues Cup action.
The Herons are coming off a 2-1 win over Chicago Fire one week ago in Major League Soccer action, with Jordi Alba scoring the winning goal with roughly 15 minutes left in the match. Miami remain atop the Supporters' Shield standings despite Lionel Messi being out with an ankle injury, and they'll look to carry over their league form into Leagues Cup in a bid to repeat as tournament champions.
With Messi and Luis Suarez likely to miss the game, Martino will likely pick a similar front three to the one that started vs Chicago. Youngsters Diego Gomez and Benjamin Cremaschi are also out of action for the next few weeks as they're taking part in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, giving Martino more things to think about regarding his future lineups.
Here's how the Herons could lineup vs Puebla.
GK: Drake Callender - Callender stepped up time and time again last summer to play his part in Miami winning Leagues Cup, and he'll need to be at his best again to help the Herons repeat.
RB: Marcelo Weigandt - 'Chelo' Weigandt keeps his place in the side at right-back, looking to get down the right-hand side of the pitch and help with the attack.
CB: Tomas Aviles - The young center-back leads the backline and will look to limit the chances created by Puebla's talented strikers.
CB: Noah Allen - Martino has used Sergio Busquets at center-back in recent matches, but he could opt to give Allen minutes alongside Aviles to allow Busquets to perform at his best in the midfield.
LB: Jordi Alba - The veteran defender will be full of confidence heading into the match after scoring the winning goal against the Fire.
CM: Federico Redondo - Redondo keeps his place in the midfield three after an impressive run of matches.
CM: Sergio Busquets - The 36-year-old returns to his preferred position in the midfield after filling in at center-back last time out.
CM: Matias Rojas - Rojas typically plays on the right-wing but has proven his versatility to the Miami squad, bagging a goal against Chicago despite starting the match in a more defensive position.
RW: Julian Gressel - The former Columbus Crew player will hope to make an impact from the wide areas of the pitch and set pieces with his excellent delivery from his favored right foot.
ST: Leo Campana - With Suarez's status up in the air, Campana gets the nod at striker and leads the line.
LW: Robert Taylor - The Finland international grabbed an assist against Chicago and will be eager to replicate that performance to help Miami win against Puebla.