Josef Martinez trapped Chris McCann’s perfectly lobbed left-footed pass on his chest, spun to his left and unleashed a right-footed shot that slammed into the post of the goal in Tuesday’s training session.
“He looks like himself,” Atlanta United teammate Jeff Larentowicz said.
Martinez, out since March after suffering a thigh injury while playing with the Venezuelan national team, has appeared in only three games for Atlanta United. But in those games, the 24-year-old scored five goals and created a sense of delirium in the team’s supporters.
It seems he may be back soon.
For the past two weeks, Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino has something said along the lines of “soon” when asked when Martinez would return. The striker flew with the team to Vancouver for Saturday’s 3-1 loss, but wasn’t selected for the 18. Martino said after the game that Martinez didn’t feel quite right and there was no sense in risking him.
In Tuesday’s scrimmage between Atlanta United’s non-starters and one of its academy teams, Martinez appeared to move well.
Martino will hold his weekly news conference Thursday, which is the soonest that “soon” may turn into “this week” for the possibility of Martinez returning for Saturday’s game at Chicago. Martinez last appeared for Atlanta United in its 4-0 defeat of Chicago, in which he scored two goals at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
“We know it will take time for him to get back to full health and to the level where he was at,” midfielder Yamil Asad said. “As teammates, we just try and give him company and try and give him confidence to raise his spirits because we know he’s a really important player for us.”
Atlanta United’s offense hasn’t exactly suffered in Martinez’s absence, but it hasn’t been the same. In the three games he started, the team averaged 3.7 goals per game. In the 10 games he has missed, the team is averaging 1.7 goals per game.
The team has used either Hector Villalba or Kenwyne Jones in place of Martinez. Villalba has started six games, including the past four, and scored three of his five goals. He has also added two of his four assists. Jones has started four games, scoring both of his goals. Jones won’t be available for Saturday’s game because he will be with the Trinidad and Tobago national team trying to qualify for the World Cup.
Martinez is a mix of the two players, with some of Villalba’s speed and some of Jones’ strength.
Martino said last week that when Martinez does return to playing in game, he will likely be introduced gradually. So, don’t expect to see him in the starting 11 on Saturday against Chicago.
“I can tell you he’s itching to play,” Larentowicz said.
