Giorgos Giakoumakis’ availability for this weekend’s match against Philadelphia will be decided Saturday, Atlanta United manager Gonzalo Pineda said Friday.
The Five Stripes will host the Union on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Giakoumakis sustained a bone bruise in his right leg two weeks ago in a match against Chicago. He didn’t play April 6 in the team’s 1-1 draw at NYCFC.
Giakoumakis leads the Five Stripes with five goals.
He didn’t train with the team Friday, instead doing an individual workout with a trainer. His availability for Sunday will be determined by how well he can move and his pain tolerance.
Giakoumakis is the only player whose availability will be questionable. Pineda said that winger Xande Silva (adductor), centerbacks Stian Gregersen (knee) and Derrick Williams (calf), backup striker Jamal Thiare, are out.
Daniel Rios likely will start at striker.
“Really, really good,” Pineda said about Rios’ sessions this week. “He’s combined very well.”
Rios missed the past two matches because of an injury. This past week included his first full training sessions since the injury.
Brooks Lennon said Rios has had a good attitude in training and appears to be 100% healthy.
“We’re looking looking forward to playing with him this weekend,” Lennon said.
The likely centerback pairing will be Noah Cobb, who came in for Gregersen three matches ago, and Luis Abram. Silva likely will be replaced by Tyler Wolff or Edwin Mosquera.
Atlanta United (3-2-1) has allowed only one goal in three home matches this season.
New center. Pineda said he’s most excited about the altitude rooms and cognitive training rooms that will be built within Atlanta United’s expanded training facility. Construction on the $23 million expansion is scheduled to start this summer.
“I think when you’re looking at the evolution of MLS and playing multiple games in different environments – and the traveling times been being an issue – I think the more we can invest in recovering our players, especially (when) we have a lot of internationals coming back from (matches), is great,” he said.
New rules. MLS may make some acquisition rules changes this summer that include uncoupling the number of Designated Players a team from the number of Under-22 Initiative signings it has. The new proposal has teams able to sign either three DPs and three U22s, or two DPs and four U22s. The existing rule is a complicated mix that can limit a team’s ability to sign all available DPs and U22s.
Atlanta United has one U22 signing on its roster, Edwin Mosquera. It loaned out its other two, Santiago Sosa and Franco Ibarra, before the season, in part because of the MLS rules.
“All I know is it’s growing the league in the best way possible,” Lennon said. “I think it’s just comes down to feeding more money into each team, which in the grand scheme of things is a great idea for MLS, and it’s going to bring more and more talent to the league and make it one of the best leagues in the world, eventually.”
Lennon speaks out. Lennon statistically was the best American fullback in MLS last season after setting career-highs in goals (4) and assists (12).
The right fullback is off to another good start this season, with three assists in six matches. No other fullback has more this season.
Despite how well he has played, it wasn’t enough last season to get him voted or selected for the MLS All-Star team, to join Giakoumakis and Thiago Almada on the season-ending Best XI, or called to the U.S. national team.
Lennon wanted all of those things. He said the snubs are motivating him.
“I do feel overlooked at times, which is frustrating with the amount of hard work I put in,” he said. “And yeah, it does give me that extra motivation every single day to come out here and prove that I’m one of the best defenders in the league.”
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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule
Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0
March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1
March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0
March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0
March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0
April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1
April 14 vs. Philadelphia, 2:30 p.m., Fox
April 20 vs. Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
April 27 at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
May 4 vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
May 11 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
May 15 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
May 18 at Nashville, 1:30 p.m.
May 25 vs. LAFC, 7:30 p.m.
May 29 at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
June 2 vs Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., Fox
June 15 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m.
June 19 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 22 at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m.
June 29 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
July 3 at New England, 7:30 p.m.
July 6 at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m.
July 13 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 17 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
July 20 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
July 26 vs. D.C. United in Leagues Cup, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 4 vs. Santos Laguna in Leagues Cup, 4 p.m.
Aug. 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 31 at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 vs. Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Orlando, 6 p.m.
