Atlanta United forward Josef Martinez will miss the next 4-6 weeks after sustaining an injury to his left quadriceps while playing for the Venezuelan national team during World Cup qualifying last week.
Martinez, who leads MLS in goals scored (5), flew to Atlanta from South America last week to have an MRI. The MLS expansion team announced the diagnosis Tuesday. This is the first significant player injury the expansion side has experienced.
Atlanta United (2-1-0) will play at Seattle (1-1-1) on Friday. If Martinez is out four weeks, he will miss the four-game road stretch that also includes Toronto, Montreal and Real Salt Lake. His first game back could be against D.C. United on April 30 at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium. If he misses six weeks, he may not return until the game at Portland on May 14.
Martinez, 23, was acquired on loan from Torino in Italy before Atlanta United purchased his contract last week. He is one of the team’s three Designated Players.
Atlanta United has three more strikers on its roster, but none has Martinez's skill set. The other three are Kenwyne Jones and Brandon Vazquez, who are bigger, target forwards, and the recently acquired Bryan Rochez, who is unlikely to play because he said he needs time to get fit.
Jones is one of several Atlanta United players who are out while playing for their national teams. His team, Trinidad and Tobago, is hosting Mexico on Tuesday.
The Atlanta United player most similar to Martinez may be Romario Williams, who is on loan with the Charleston Battery in the USL. His contract includes a right-of-recall clause, so Atlanta United could bring him back if manager Gerardo Martino deems him to be the replacement.
Martino is supposed to hold his weekly news conference later Tuesday.
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