Atlanta United manager Gonzalo Pineda said he does not yet know the availability of five players for Friday’s MLS game against Orlando at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Centerback Miles Robinson and fullback George Bello are with the U.S. team that is scheduled to play at Honduras on Wednesday in a World Cup qualifying game. Pineda implied it is unlikely that Robinson will play on Friday because he has started and gone 90 minutes in the past two games for the U.S. and will likely start Wednesday’s. He said they would need to assess him physically before making that decision. Bello has yet to play for the U.S. in these games.
Striker Josef Martinez and fullback Ronald Hernandez are with Venezuela for its World Cup qualifying games. The team will play Thursday against Paraguay. Martinez played 67 minutes in the first qualifying game against Argentina. He didn’t play in the second game against Peru. Hernandez played 23 minutes against Argentina and 90 against Peru.
Midfielder Santiago Sosa returned to training earlier this week. Pineda said he’s not yet sure if Sosa will be available for selection for Friday. He said they don’t want to rush him.
Also returning to training and should be available are defensive midfielder Mo Adams and winger Jake Mulraney. Adams has just three appearances this season during which he has been out injured most of the time. Mulraney has three assists in 15 appearances this season. He hasn’t played since July 24.
Should Martinez not be available, Pineda said their is competition between Erick Torres and Jackson Conway, or the possibility of the team using a “false nine,” which is a formation the team has trained the past two weeks.
Should Bello and Hernandez not be available, either Mulraney, Machop Chol or Mikey Ambrose would likely get the start. Should Robinson not be available, the team could use either two centerbacks, likely Alan Franco and Anton Walkes, or three with Franco, Walkes and George Campbell.
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Atlanta United’s 2021 MLS schedule
April 17 Atlanta United 0, Orlando 0
April 24 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 1
May 1 New England 2, Atlanta United 1
May 9 Atlanta United 1, Inter Miami 1,
May 15 Atlanta United 1, Montreal 0
May 23 Atlanta United 1, Seattle 1
May 29 Atlanta United 2, Nashville 2
June 20 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2
June 23 NYCFC 1, Atlanta United 0
June 27 Atlanta United 0, New York Red Bulls 0
July 3 Chicago 3, Atlanta United 0
July 8 Atlanta United 2, Nashville 2
July 17 New England 1, Atlanta United 0
July 21 Atlanta United 1, Cincinnati 1
July 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0
July 30 Orlando 3, Atlanta United 2
Aug. 4 Atlanta United 2, Montreal 2
Aug. 7 Atlanta United 3, Columbus 2
Aug. 15 Atlanta United 1, LAFC 0
Aug. 18 Atlanta United 1, Toronto
Aug. 21 Atlanta United 2, D.C. United 1
Aug. 28 Nashville 2, Atlanta United 0
Sept. 10 vs. Orlando, 7 p.m., FS1
Sept. 15 vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 18 vs. D.C. United, 3:30 p.m., Univision
Sept. 25 at Philadelphia,3:30 p.m., Univision
Sept. 29 vs. Inter Miami, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 2 at Montreal, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 16 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 20 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 27 vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 30 vs. Toronto, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Nov. 3 at New York Red Bulls, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
Nov. 7 at Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
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