Atlanta United missing several starters in preparation for Orlando

Atlanta United, four days from its playoff match at Orlando and with three training sessions remaining, practiced Wednesday without three starters who hadn’t yet returned from playing from their national teams.

The three, Alexey Miranchuk (Russia), Saba Lobjanidze (Georgia) and Luis Abram (Peru), had matches Tuesday. Miranchuk scored a goal and had an assist in Russia’s 4-1 win against Syria. Georgia was beaten 2-1 by Czechia, with Lobjanidze playing the final 11 minutes. Peru was beaten 1-0 by Argentina. Abram didn’t play. A fourth player, Efrain Morales, hadn’t returned from playing with Bolivia.

The three other players who were away playing for their national teams trained Wednesday. The group consisted of Stian Gregersen (Norway), Bartosz Slisz (Poland) and Luke Brennan (U.S. Under-20s). Norway defeated Slovenia 4-1 on Nov. 14, with Gregersen coming off the bench, and Kazakhstan 5-0 on Nov. 17, with Gregersen starting and playing 72 minutes. Poland was defeated by Portugal 5-1 on Nov. 15, with Slisz not playing, and was beaten 2-1 by Scotland on Nov. 18, with Slisz playing the second half.

Gregersen said it usually takes his body two days to recover from international duty, which is a good timeline for the three starters, who should return to training Thursday.

“Tomorrow, I think I will be 100% again,” he said.

Orlando had six players out for their national teams. Four of those players, Facundo Torres (Uruguay), Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartegena (Peru) and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson (Iceland), played Tuesday.

Though doing so added another week to the schedule, Atlanta United’s Dax McCarty said that MLS made the right decision not to schedule the playoffs during the international window.

“It’s a matter of just your mentality and training,” McCarty said. “We come out here every day trying to get better and trying to prepare for what we know is going to be a massive game. And so that’s all internal. That’s stuff that you can control. The stuff that you can’t control is the stuff that you just try to ignore.”

Banners. There was a new addition to the decor of the training ground. Some of Atlanta United’s supporter groups hung red-and-black banners of support on the fencing on the northern and southern ends of the two pitches the team trains on.

“It’s fun to see,” Gregersen said.

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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 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2

April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1

April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1

May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1

May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in U.S. Open Cup