Atlanta United fullback Greg Garza will not play in Sunday’s 4 p.m. game at Portland.

The decision is a precautionary measure because of a bothersome hip, which has required surgery in the past. He is expected to return for the following game.

Garza started the previous nine games.

“Just feeling some little pinches,” Garza said. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

His absence could mean the first start of the season for Mikey Ambrose.

“I want to be in every game and play in every second, but this is a good moment for me to rest the hip and hopefully be 100 percent for the next game,” Garza said.

Additionally, Andrew Carleton and Chris Goslin won’t be available for the 18. They recently returned from World Cup qualifying with the U.S. Under-17 national team. Manager Gerardo Martino said they will return next week.

Lastly, Josef Martinez, the team’s leading scorer, has yet to begin training with the team. He has been out since mid-March after picking up a thigh injury while with the Venezuelan national team.

“We will be careful monitoring Josef’s return,” manager Gerardo Martino said. “It will be a progression getting him back into the lineup.”

About the Author

Keep Reading

South Carolina guard Te-Hina Paopao (0) reacts after a basket during the second half against Maryland in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025. in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Credit: AP

Featured

Protestors demonstrate against the war in Gaza and the detention of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil at Emory University in Atlanta on March 20, 2025. The 30-year-old legal U.S. resident was detained by federal immigration agents in March. An Atlanta-based law firm has filed a lawsuit against the federal government arguing it illegally terminated the immigration records of five international students and two alumni from Georgia colleges, including one from Emory University. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com