With or without Messi, Inter looks for second title this season

What we're watching: Will Lionel Messi play?

• The Argentine star left last Wednesday's match early with discomfort from scar tissue in his leg and didn't play in Sunday's 1–1 tie against Orlando.
• It marked the third match, for club or country, that Messi had missed in the last two weeks.
• Inter coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino said Messi was day-to-day and it's unclear if he will play.
• Another midseason signing, defender Jordi Alba, is also expected to miss Wednesday's match with an injury.

What they're saying: "He doesn't need surgery or anything like that. It's just a matter of how much time the player needs to rest in order to play the next game," Martino told reporters Tuesday about Messi. "If it wasn't a final, we wouldn't take any risks. But because it's a final, there is a chance we take that risk."

If you go: Even with Messi's status up in the air, tickets are going for between $169 and $5,990 on Ticketmaster.

What's next: Beyond this midseason tournament, Inter is on the hunt for the final playoff spot in its conference.

• The team is currently in 14th place and five points back.