Manuel Castro could join Atlanta United as early as Monday, manager Frank de Boer said Thursday.
“Then I can see his face,” de Boer said. “It will be nice.”
Castro, a winger, has been working the past weeks to secure his visa, and midfielder Matheus Rossetto is in Brazil working to secure his visa.
Neither player will be available for Saturday’s MLS opener at Nashville.
They join a list that includes centerback Miles Robinson and fullbacks George Bello and Edgar Castillo.
De Boer said there is no timetable on Robinson’s return. De Boer said they don’t want to rush the important player back for fear of re-aggravating the quad injury sustained in a friendly more than two weeks ago.
“We take it step by step and listen carefully to him and the training staff,” de Boer said.
Castillo, 33, participated in a one-on-one training session Thursday and didn’t experience pain in the area of the broken rib sustained in a friendly against Elfsborg more than three weeks ago. He also could re-join the team Monday.
“He made a really good step today,” de Boer said.
Bello, who experienced a concussion in a friendly against Birmingham, is going to play in a friendly match on Saturday with Atlanta United 2. He could resume training with the team Monday.
Centerback Patrick Nielsen, who was selected in the draft, is having trouble putting weight on his left leg after suffering a recurrence of an injury he sustained in the preseason. De Boer said it happened in a friendly. The only friendly Nielsen played was Birmingham. De Boer said Nielsen played well in that game.
“He wants to show himself, but right now we have to make two steps back,” de Boer. “Hopefully, he can come back stronger.”
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