The second round of the MLS Playoffs promises plenty of excitement with matches in both conferences. On Saturday, there will be action in five places: NYCFC vs Charlotte FC, Chicago Fire vs Philadelphia Union, Inter Miami vs Nashville SC, Portland Timbers vs San Diego FC and FC Dallas vs Vancouver Whitecaps
However, not all teams will have a full squad, as several players will be absent for different reasons.
Red-hot series and sensitive casualties
In the East, NYCFC will look to close out the series against Charlotte after winning 1-0 in the first leg with a goal from Alonso Martinez. Chicago Fire will try to overturn Philadelphia’s narrow advantage, while Inter Miami wants to confirm its passage against Nashville after winning the first game. In the West, Portland Timbers and FC Dallas need to win to force a third game against San Diego FC and Vancouver, respectively.
These ties could be decided this weekend, but absences will condition strategies. From muscle injuries to suspensions and international call-ups, coaches will have to adjust their line-ups to replace key players.
Complete list of absences for Game 2
The absences affect almost every team except FC Dallas. Among the most notable names are David Ruiz at Inter Miami, Daniel Lovitz at Nashville (questionable) and Brian White at Vancouver. Also noteworthy are the absences due to national team selection, such as Nimfasha Berchimas (Charlotte) and Maximo Carrizo (NYCFC), both called up to the U-17s.
Players unavailable by team
- Charlotte FC: Nimfasha Berchimas (U17 National Team), Pep Biel (Knee)
- Chicago Fire: Leonardo Barroso, Andre Franco, Chris Mueller, Viktor Radojevi, Sergio Oregel Jr. (Suspension), Chris Brady (Questionable)
- Inter Miami: David Ruiz (Hamstring), Ryan Sailor (Knee)
- Nashville SC: Julian Gaines, Jonny Perez (Thigh), Daniel Lovitz (Questionable)
- NYCFC: Maximo Carrizo (U17 National Team), Malachi Jones, Keaton Parks (Leg)
- Philadelphia Union: Quinn Sullivan (Knee)
- Portland Timbers: Felipe Carballo, Jonathan Rodriguez (Lower body), Jimer Fory (Suspension)
- San Diego FC: Aiden Harangi, Willy Kumado, Oscar Verhoeven (Bottom)
- Vancouver Whitecaps: Sam Adekugbe, Sebastian Schonlau (Achilles), Ranko Veselinovic (Knee), Brian White (Hamstring)
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