Why is Jordi Alba not playing in Inter Miami vs. Porto in the 2025 Club World Cup?

Javier Mascherano is adjusting his starting XI ahead of Inter Miami’s second match in the Club World Cup. Marcelo Weigandt and Benjamín Cremaschi come into the team, replacing Tomás Avilés and Federico Redondo.

Inter Miami is gearing up for its second match in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where they’ll face off against Portuguese giants FC Porto, managed by Argentine coach Martín Anselmi. A win could significantly boost their chances of advancing to the knockout stage.

For this key matchup, head coach Javier Mascherano has made two changes to the starting lineup that faced Al Ahly. Tomás Avilés and Federico Redondo will be replaced by Marcelo Weigandt and Benjamín Cremaschi.

Jordi Alba still not fit to start

One expected change that didn’t happen was the return of Jordi Alba. The veteran left back, who won numerous titles with Barcelona, will not start against Porto as he continues to recover from a muscle injury. Ian Fray will once again take his place in the starting XI.

Why isn’t Jordi Alba playing against Porto?

Alba suffered a muscular injury during the final phase of Inter Miami’s pre-tournament preparation and hasn’t fully recovered. Speaking ahead of the match, Mascherano addressed the team’s injury situation: “Unfortunately, we’ve had a number of injuries over the past 20 days that have weakened us as a group.”