ATLANTA, Ga. — Head coach Ronny Deila and the Atlanta United staff are preparing for a demanding road trip, starting with a crucial match against NYCFC this Thursday, June 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The team might look quite different from its usual starting XI, reminiscent of their March 22 draw at Cincinnati, due to the lingering effects of the international break.
While technically outside the FIFA international window, many of Atlanta United’s international representatives played matches as late as Monday and Tuesday this week. This means they’ll be rejoining the squad directly in New York and might not be fully fit to start. Deila hinted at this possibility, stating after Tuesday’s training, “We need to put up our team in the best shape as possible with what is available. The good thing is that we [have] other players now to get opportunities. Last time we gave [them] that, they did really well against Cincinnati, so we have a good experience from that in the last break.”
In that March 22 match against FC Cincinnati, Deila made three changes to his previous starting XI to manage player availability. This time, even more rotation could be on the cards as the Five Stripes chase their first road win of the season.
Injury Update:
Wednesday’s availability report lists five players out due to injury:
- Josh Cohen: Arm (Out for extended period)1
- Stian Gregersen: Quadriceps (Sidelined)2
- Edwin Mosquera: Adductor (Small knock, but out)3
- Tristan Muyumba: Knee (Sidelined)
- Cayman Togashi: Knee (Out for extended period)4
Reinforcements from ATL UTD 2:
To bolster the squad, Atlanta United is calling up two players from Atlanta United 2 on Short-Term Agreements: Cooper Sanchez and Nyk Sessock.5 Both players were also called up for the Cincinnati match in March, indicating their familiarity with the first-team environment. Sanchez signed his professional contract with ATL UTD 2 in July 2024, and Sessock joined in February of this year.6 Both have logged double-digit appearances for ATL UTD 2 this season and frequently train with the first team.
The Five Stripes are ready to demonstrate their depth and flexibility as they kick off this challenging run of five consecutive road matches!
