Designated Player Alan Franco may not be available for Atlanta United’s MLS opener at Orlando on Saturday, manager Gabriel Heinze said Thursday.
Heinze said the delay isn’t because of the team, which said earlier this week that it was waiting on his visa paperwork to be processed.
Franco also didn’t participate in Tuesday’s 1-0 win at Alajuelense in the Champions League.
Heinze said that the players who were available for Tuesday will be available to face the Lions at Exploria Stadium. The only two players on the team’s injury report Tuesday were goalkeeper Alec Kann and midfielder Mo Adams.
Asked why Erik Lopez has yet to make either of the first two game-day rosters, Heinze said that he is doing well, but that there’s a lot of competition.
Lopez, a 19-year-old from Paraguay, signed with Atlanta United last summer. Typically a striker, Heinze is using Lopez as a winger, which is where Ezequiel Barco, Marcelino Moreno, Jake Mulraney, Jurgen Damm and Machop Chol are competing for time.
Heinze said he doesn’t give weight to what the supporters would like or the player’s contract when deciding who will play.
“My decisions are from a football aspect,” he said.
In other personnel news, the team announced Thursday that it signed Josh Bauer, its pick in the first round of the MLS draft. Bauer, a centerback, made 60 appearances for New Hampshire, scoring 10 goals. He was named the America East Conference Defender of the Year in 2018 and ’19. It is probable that he will spend the season with Atlanta United 2.
“Josh has done well during preseason and will add competition to our defensive group,” Atlanta United Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement from the team. “He’s a player we tracked throughout his college career and were pleased to have the opportunity to select him where we did.”
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