With USMNT's Benjamin Cremaschi to miss 2-3 months, Inter Miami's depth will be tested immediately

Lionel Messi and company are short of depth ahead of the season starting, meaning more may be asked of aging stars

Only days after announcing that Facundo Farias would miss the season due to a torn ACL, Inter Miami take another hit as midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi will miss 2-3 months after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia. The 18-year-old midfielder played a large role for Inter Miami last season, scoring four goals and assisting six during 41 appearances. Cremaschi was able to bring a dynamic presence to the midfield that at times was flat under Tata Martino due to a surplus of defensive midfielders.

Playing in the league, Leagues Cup, and Concacaf Champions Cup, depth will be critical to the Herons this season as the quartet of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets can't play in multiple matches per week. But with losing Cremaschi for a period of time and Farias for the season, both of whom were expected to play critical roles, Miami may need to make another addition to the squad.

Already in the midst of a seven-match preseason tour around El Salvador, the United States, China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, the globetrotting Herons are running out of time to make and integrate signings before kicking off the regular season against Real Salt Lake in less than a month on Feb. 21. Depth will immediately be tested as not only does Major League Soccer have its earliest start ever but Miami will also begin the season with a double game week traveling to Los Angeles to face the Galaxy on Feb. 25 and then March will see them enter the round of 16 in Champions Cup.

If you got dizzy reading that schedule, you're not alone as the Herons could be on fumes before they've even played five MLS matches due to the compression of their schedule and even adding Julian Gressel, Suarez and Nicolás Freire doesn't feel like much when taking into account departures. Kamal Miller's departure will create a void and while Josef Martinez was directly replaced, it's unknown if Suarez will be able to play on artificial turf as it was something that he avoided while with Gremio in Brazil. Dixon Arroyo is another serviceable midfielder who is no longer with the club. 

While the top tier of the roster is excellent by MLS standards, it's spots 12-25 that will determine if Miami can follow up on last season's cup glory and make the playoffs after missing out. Starting on level terms with Messi instead of needing to dig out of a hole midseason will help but more depth is needed quickly to compete on all fronts as without two of their best young players available, the Miami team opening the season is a step behind the one that lifted Leagues Cup last season.