Atlanta United finds itself in a place that has become more familiar than unfamiliar: playing without Josef Martinez.
The striker won’t play in Saturday’s home game against Orlando City, manager Gerardo Martino said Thursday. Martinez may also miss the next game, at Sporting KC on Aug. 6.
Martinez has been an important player for the team (10-7-3) when he has been able to play. He has scored nine goals in nine league games, but has missed 11 games this season because of injuries. The team is 4-4-3 when Martinez doesn’t play, and 6-3-0 when he does. It averages 1.63 goals per game when Martinez doesn’t play, and 2.44 when he plays.
After starting the season with five goals in three games, Martinez missed the next 10 games after suffering a thigh injury while playing with the Venezuelan national team.
He suffered a foot contusion in his second game back. The injury happened in an U.S. Open Cup game against Charleston. He played through the injury in the next five league games until it flared up before last week’s 1-0 win at Orlando City. He didn’t make the 18 for that game and was seen wearing a walking boot on the field during pregame activities.
He hasn’t participated in this week’s training sessions, but was seen at the team’s practice facility in Marietta on Thursday.
Martino said it’s more likely that Martinez won’t return until after the two-week break in August, when the team plays at D.C. United on Aug. 23.
Martino wouldn’t commit to saying that Hector Villalba will move from the midfield to start at striker. Playing as a striker in place of Martinez, Villalba scored the winning goal against the Lions last week. He has filled in at striker several games this season in Martinez’s absence. Villalba is tied for the team lead with nine goals.
Martino could also play Brandon Vazquez at striker, or Julian Gressel, who has manned the spot for a few minutes previously this season, as well as in the 3-2 loss to Miami in the U.S. Open Cup.
Martino also said that fullback Mark Bloom and forward Kenwyne Jones likely won’t return until after the break. Bloom has a back injury; Jones has right knee inflammation that happened while on national-team duty with Trinidad and Tobago.
Additionally, Andrew Carleton and Chris Goslin are with the U.S. Under-17 national team.
Midfielder Jacob Peterson returned to the squad this week being out more than three months with a calf injury.
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