Inter Miami will look to extend its lead atop the MLS standings when they pay a visit to the Chicago Fire FC, who are chasing a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Miami will once again be without superstar Lionel Messi, who misses his eighth straight match with an ankle injury picked up in the 2024 Copa América final. He started training with his teammates this past week and will have a two-week international break in September to recover ahead of the next league match on September 14. A crowd of over 62,000 packed Soldier Field last October in the hope of seeing Messi, who also missed that trip to Chicago. Inter Miami should still draw a crowd with Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in action. Plus, the Fire are staging a special one-hour Saturday night performance from musical artist Jason Derulo. Chicago Fire manager Frank Klopas welcomes back the hard-working Fabian Herbers to the matchday squad after he missed last week's 2-2 away draw at NYCFC with a knock. Both Herbers and defender Carlos Terán, who came out of the same match at halftime with an injury, were training all week, according to reports. Outside the injured Chase Gasper and Mauricio Pineda, it's otherwise a full bill of health. Pineda was originally listed as questionable, but he misses the match. Inter Miami manager Tata Martino has to do without seven players out due to injury, including Lionel Messi, and another starter out due to red card suspension (Tomas Aviles). The Herons still have a more than competent starting XI to roll out against Chicago with the likes of Benja Cremaschi, Robert Taylor and Leonardo Campana available off the bench. Chicago welcome Inter Miami to Soldier Field, hoping to avenge a 2-1 loss on July 20 in Florida, where Jordi Alba scored the game-winner. Both teams will have two weeks off after this match due to the September FIFA international window. When they return in September, there will be just seven matches remaining in the regular season, which ends on Saturday, October 19. Just hours before the match, the betting market had the home team as the slight favorites in the match, even though they have a mere 4W-5L-3D record at Soldier Field. Inter Miami's away record this season is 8W-2L-2D. Perhaps it's the absence of Lionel Messi and the long injury list that's fueling the market moving toward Chicago, who have just two wins in their last eight matches in league play. The odds also point to goals in the match — at least three, according to the goal line (3) — with both teams expected to find the back of the net (-200 odds), which has happened in 20 of 26 Inter Miami matches (77 percent) and 17 of 26 Chicago matches (65 percent). The -200 odds for both teams to score have an implied probability of 66.67 percent. The Fire are in dire need of a win to climb the standings and inch closer to the elusive playoff spots, and the presence of Inter Miami, even without Messi, poses a significant challenge. But the Fire have shown resilience in the past, coming back from a 2-0 deficit against NYCFC to secure a stoppage-time draw in their last match. It's a testament to their fight and ability to pull off surprises, which might come in handy against a potent Inter Miami side. While Inter Miami is the clear favorite on paper, they have been inconsistent on the road, as evidenced by their away record. This might provide an opportunity for the Fire to exploit their vulnerabilities and snatch a valuable victory at Soldier Field. The match promises to be a captivating spectacle, with the Fire's desperate pursuit of a playoff berth colliding with Inter Miami's relentless drive to stay at the top of the MLS standings. The stage is set for an intense battle, where the Fire will be looking to light up Soldier Field with a stunning upset, while Inter Miami will be striving to maintain their winning momentum even in the absence of their star player. The outcome is uncertain, but one thing is for sure: this match will be a must-watch for MLS fans across the globe.