Atlanta United will play without fullback Greg Garza for the remainder of the regular season and possibly part of the playoffs. The team announced Tuesday that he will miss at least the next four weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury in the first half of Saturday’s draw at New England.
It is the second hamstring injury Garza has sustained in the past month and the fourth overall suffered by the team during the same span. Atlanta United (15-8-8) will end a stretch of eight games in 24 days when its hosts Minnesota United on Tuesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Garza is loan to Atlanta United from Tijuana in LIGA MX.
The team has secured a spot in the MLS playoffs, which begin as early as Oct. 24. The conference semifinals start Oct. 30 and Nov. 5. The conference finals are Nov. 21 and 28 or 29. The MLS Cup is Dec. 9. If the team announced timeline of four to six weeks holds, that would mean a return on or around Nov. 7.
Garza, 26, has started 26 games and scored two goals with five assists this season. He had just returned from a hamstring injury with a substitute appearance in last week’s win against Philadelphia and a start against New England when he felt something happen in his left leg on a cold and wet Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.
Other players to suffer hamstring injuries within the past weeks are attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron and forward/midfielder Brandon Vazquez.
Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino has disagreed with some national soccer columnists who have postulated that he has overworked his players. That theory was posted by MLS analyst Matthew Doyle after Almiron's injury.
Martino also hasn’t wanted to say if playing on the artificial turf may be a factor with the rash of hamstring injuries. Instead, he has pointed to the congestion of the schedule as a possible reason for the first injury to Garza and the one to Almiron.
The team is playing so many home games in such a short period of time because the franchise wanted to host its share of home games. That decision, combined with the construction delays of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, forced the tightly packed schedule.
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