Football pundit Matt Doyle reckons David Martinez deserves a lot of credit for Inter Miami’s success in the absence of their talismanic striker Lionel Messi, who is out of action due to an ankle injury. Despite Messi’s absence, the Herons are the front runner to win MLS Supporters Shield.

Messi has missed 11 matches for Inter Miami after he suffered an ankle injury in the final of the Copa America against Colombia in extra time. However, despite his absence, Inter Miami is in numero uno position in the Eastern Conference standings, with 16 wins, five draws and four losses in 25 matches.

“I think they’re going to end up playing their best soccer of the season down the stretch, because I think David Martinez, he moves the needle for them, as long as he doesn’t get any more stupid red cards,” said Doyle (via Inter Miami News).

Meanwhile, David Martinez has done a fabulous job in the defence for Inter Miami and has played a key role in the success of the team.

The MLS Supporters Shield is given to the team which tops both conferences in the league stage. 

“This is what we’ve seen a lot in this league over the past seven, eight years in the teams that really want the Shield, they go after it in May, June, July, and they create a little bit of a buffer there,” Doyle said on Inter Miami’s chances of winning the Supporters Shield.

“That was when Miami was supposed to lose it. That’s when Messi was gone, Copa America, Suarez was gone, Mati Rojas was gone, yet they ended up going nine and one without Messi, they’ve been excellent,” he concluded.

Inter Miami will take on second placed FC Cincinnati at the Chase Stadium on Saturday.