Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi will be available for the Major League Soccer (MLS) match against New England Revolution on November 2 despite receiving his fifth yellow card of the season.
As reported by İdman.Biz, citing ESPN, the Argentine superstar was booked during Inter Miami's 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati on October 29 but will avoid an automatic suspension due to a special provision in the MLS disciplinary regulations.
The league operates a Good Behaviour Incentive rule, which rewards players for maintaining a clean disciplinary record over consecutive matches.
Under the regulation, a player who completes five successive matches without receiving a yellow card, red card or any other disciplinary sanction has one yellow card automatically deducted from their accumulated total.
However, players can benefit from this provision a maximum of three times during the regular season.
The rule has allowed Messi to reduce his accumulated yellow-card count, meaning his latest booking will not prevent him from featuring in Inter Miami's upcoming fixture.
The Argentine captain therefore remains available for selection as Inter Miami continue their MLS campaign.
