Inter Miami's three-game winning streak ended with a frustrating defeat on Saturday night as an early own goal from Casemiro and a late Emil Forsberg strike gave the Red Bulls a well-earned victory.

Messi did not start the clash, much to the disappointment of supporters as he instead came on in the 56th minute, playing only 34 minutes as his side trailed.

Despite having 62.5% possession, Miami managed just two shots on target, a stat Messi could have helped with.

However, Gonzalez explained that Messi was to be protected ahead of the next clash against FC Cincinnati.

"Obviously, he's been through quite a journey, time zone changes, temperature shifts, and a whole host of other factors.

"We were fully aware of all of this, and we reached an agreement that this was the best approach to ensure he didn't suffer any issues, specifically to avoid any injuries considering we have another match this Wednesday. The goal was for him to recover and get some minutes under his belt today; as always, he performed well."

Messi entered the match with 25 MLS goals and 15 assists, he has been incredible since making the switch to the MLS and he should start once more on Wednesday night.

Inter Miami remain in a strong position in the Eastern Conference standings, sitting in third place with 55 points as they seek a home victory against Cincinnati.