Atlanta United President Darren Eales on Tuesday said that the MLS team doesn’t yet know if Ezequiel Barco will play for Argentina’s U-23 team this summer.
Barco has missed Atlanta United’s past four games because of a “lower body” issue. He appeared to sustain a hamstring injury in the team’s game against New England on May 1.
Barco, an attacking midfielder who has scored two goals for Atlanta United across all competitions this season, was named to the Argentina’s U23 team on Monday for friendlies against Denmark on June 8 and Saudi Arabia on June 11. It is not a FIFA-mandated event so the club doesn’t have to release Barco.
“We will have a chat and see how he’s progressing,” Eales said. “It will depend upon his fitness. If he’s not fit he can’t go anyway.”
Barco’s myriad injury history includes sustaining a knee injury while training with Argentina’s U20 team in January 2019. The injury resulted in him missing several weeks of Atlanta United training. It, however, didn’t cause him to miss any games.
Eales said the team has received no offers to buy any of its players, including Barco, nor has it made any offers to sign any players. The team, reportedly on Monday, made a $14 million bid for a Brazilian player.
Eales said the team may look this summer to sign a player to replace striker Lisandro Lopez, whose contract was mutually terminated following the death of his father in Argentina. Eales said the decision to end the contract was the right thing for the player. Lopez occupied a Supplemental spot on the team’s roster, which doesn’t count against the team’s cap but does come with a salary ceiling. Lopez also occupied an International slot, which is now free. The team can’t move a player from a Senior slot into a Supplemental slot.
“We will look in the summer to be as flexible as we can,” Eales said.
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Atlanta United’s 2021 MLS schedule
April 17 Atlanta United 0, Orlando 0
April 24 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 1
May 1 New England 2, Atlanta United 1
May 9 Atlanta United 1, Inter Miami 1,
May 15 Atlanta United 1, Montreal 0
May 23 Atlanta United 1, Seattle 1
May 29 vs. Nashville, 3:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 20 vs. Philadelphia, 2 p.m., ESPN
June 23 at NYCFC (at Red Bull Arena), TBD, BSSO/BSSE
June 27 vs. New York Red Bulls, 3:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 3 at Chicago, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 8 at Nashville, 8:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 17 vs. New England, 5 p.m., ESPN
July 21 at Cincinnati, 7 p.m., FS1
July 24 vs. Columbus, 3:30 p.m., ABC
July 30 at Orlando, 8 p.m., ESPN
Aug. 4 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 7 at Columbus, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 15 vs. LAFC, 4 p.m. ESPN
Aug. 18 vs. Toronto, 7 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 21 at D.C. United, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 28 vs. Nashville, 3:30 p.m., Univision
Sept. 10 vs. Orlando, 7 p.m., FS1
Sept. 15 vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 18 vs. D.C. United, 3:30 p.m., Univision
Sept. 25 at Philadelphia,3:30 p.m., Univision
Sept. 29 vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m., FS1
Oct. 2 at Montreal, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 16 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 20 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 27 vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Oct. 30 vs. Toronto, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Nov. 3 at New York Red Bulls, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
Nov. 7 at Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
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