Atlanta United’s Luiz Araujo is expected to miss at least the next four weeks of MLS games after suffering a hamstring injury in last week’s 3-1 win against Sporting KC.
The team didn’t specify if the injury is a hamstring strain or tear in its statement.
Araujo, a winger and one of the team’s three Designated Players, sustained the injury just before or after scoring the opening goal in the 20th minute. He was subbed out six minutes later.
Araujo will miss Saturday’s game at Colorado and home games against Charlotte and Montreal on March 13 and 19, and possibly the April 2 game at D.C. United.
“I feel sad for him, and I think all the teammates feel for him, and he’s a really important player for us,” teammate and fellow Brazilian Matheus Rossetto said Tuesday. “So we’re just trying to give him, you know, positive encouragement and positive energy so he can have a full recovery.”
Araujo was bought by Atlanta United last season after he helped Lille win France’s Ligue 1 and qualify for the Champions League. He scored four goals with four assists in 15 appearances for the Five Stripes.
Speaking after Sunday’s season-opening win, manager Gonzalo Pineda said the team had numerous options if Araujo were unavailable. Among those are Dom Dwyer, Brooks Lennon, Marcelino Moreno and Tyler Wolff. But few of those players have Araujo’s combination of dribbling skill, passing vision and shooting accuracy.
Without Araujo, the team may have just one DP, Josef Martinez, available for Saturday’s game at Colorado. Thiago Almada, signed last month, missed Tuesday’s training session because he is in Argentina securing his visa. He missed all of last week, too. Also missing on Tuesday were midfielders Santiago Sosa and Franco Ibarra, who are in Argentina securing their green cards.
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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule
Feb. 27 Atlanta United 3, Sporting KC 1
March 5 at Colorado, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
March 13 vs. Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., FS1
March 19 vs. Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 2 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 10 at Charlotte, 1:30 p.m., ABC, ESPN Deportes
April 16 vs. Cincinnati, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 24 at Miami, 1 p.m., ESPN
April 30 at Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 7 vs. Chicago, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 15 vs. New England, 2 p.m., ESPN
May 21 at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. FOX
May 28 vs. Columbus Crew, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 19 vs. Miami, 4 p.m., ESPN2
June 25 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 30 at New York Red Bulls, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 3 at NYCFC, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 9 vs. Austin, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 13 vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 17 vs. Orlando, 3 p.m., ABC
July 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 9:30 p.m., FS1
July 30 at Chicago, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 6 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., ABC
Aug. 13 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 21 at Columbus, 6 p.m., FS1
Aug. 28 vs. D.C. United, 4 p.m., UNIV
Aug. 31 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 at Portland, 5:30 p.m., FOX
Sept. 10 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 14 at Orlando, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 17 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 1 at New England, 1 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 9 vs. NYCFC, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
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