Ahead of Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match and Saturday’s match with New York City FC, Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino is monitoring two nagging injuries.
Midfielder Chris McCann is still nursing a lingering hamstring injury that he injured before the match against Chicago on May 5. He returned to the lineup against New England last week, and started in Saturday’s win over Philadelphia before being subbed off at halftime. Martino ruled him out for Wednesday, but did not specify a timetable for his recovery.
Forward Hector Villalba’s status seems more ambiguous ahead of the two matches this week. After notching 13 goals as a mainstay in the starting 11 last season, Villalba has seen his playing time dwindle this season, both because of injuries and increased team depth.
Villalba hyperextended his knee in training before the match against New England last week. He did not appear in that match or Saturday’s match against Philadelphia, and is a question mark for the week ahead. His presence would be a boon for a squad in the midst of a stretch of five games in 15 days.
“McCann will be out of the team,” Martino said. “Tito, I have to talk to the doctors today to see how he’s doing and how they’re evaluating him this week.”
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