The availability of Atlanta United’s Giorgos Giakoumakis and Thiago Almada will be determined Saturday ahead of Sunday’s MLS game against Chicago at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Manager Gonzalo Pineda said both players are day to day and their selection for the game-day roster will be decided after they undergo some pain-tolerance tests Saturday.
Almada, who has four goals and five assists, has been training with the team for the past week. He sustained an injury two weeks ago at NYCFC. He didn’t play Saturday in a 2-2 draw at Toronto.
Giakoumakis, who has scored four goals, was subbed off in the opening minutes of the second half against Toronto with a hamstring injury.
Pineda said that tests revealed the injury was minor. Giakoumakis could be seen training by himself Wednesday and with the team Friday.
“He’s feeling positively,” Pineda said.
Miguel Berry subbed on for Giakoumakis. Pineda said if Giakoumakis can’t play Sunday, Berry is among the candidates to replace him. Others include Machop Chol, who started at striker in several games in the preseason but was used off the bench as an attacking midfielder at Toronto, Erik Lopez or Tyler Wolff.
Chol, who scored his first career goal at Toronto, also may be a candidate to start as an attacking midfielder if Almada can’t play.
“He’s a guy that is going to be physical, is going to chase at the pace. He’s going to dribble at pace. Once we break the first and the second line of pressure, he goes at people with a lot of speed,” Pineda said of Chol as an attacking midfielder. “So he’s someone that can give us something different out of that position.”
Left wing Caleb Wiley rejoined Atlanta United on Friday and did a regenerative session after earning his first cap with the U.S. men’s national team in its 1-1 draw Wednesday against Mexico in Arizona. Wiley has three goals and two assists. He will rejoin the team for its Saturday session.
“Happy for him for making a two-minute debut against Mexico,” Pineda said. “I would love to see him a little more. It’s a good boost for his career. Being with the national team at 18 is fantastic.”
Defensive midfielder Franco Ibarra, who started the first seven games, also is day to day. Pineda said he sustained an ankle injury on the play that resulted in a red card two games ago against NYCFC. Ibarra didn’t train last week and couldn’t play at Toronto because he was serving his one-game suspension. Santiago Sosa started in place of Ibarra last week.
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Atlanta United’s 2023 MLS schedule
Feb. 25 Atlanta United 2, San Jose Earthquakes 1
March 4 Atlanta United 1, Toronto FC 1
March 11 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte FC 0
March 18 Atlanta United 5, Portland 1
March 25 Columbus 6, Atlanta United 1
April 1 Atlanta United 1, New York Red Bulls 0
April 8 Atlanta United 1, New York City FC 1
April 15 Atlanta United 2, Toronto FC 2
April 23 vs. Chicago Fire FC, 4:30 p.m., FS1
April 29 at Nashville SC, 1:30 p.m., Fox
May 6 at Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
May 13 vs. Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m.
May 17 vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m.
May 20 at Chicago Fire FC, 8:30 p.m.
May 27 at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m.
May 31 vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m., FS1
June 3 at Los Angeles FC, 10:30 p.m.
June 10 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 21 vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
June 24 at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
July 2 vs. Philadelphia Union, 4 p.m., Fox
July 8 at CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 12 at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.
July 15 vs. Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m., FS1
Aug. 20 at Seattle Sounders, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 26 vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2 at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 vs. Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23 vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 7 vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 at FC Cincinnati, TBA
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