Preview, prediction for FC Cincinnati's trip to face Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The players unavailable and questionable due to injuries will be the focus of FC Cincinnati's visit to Atlanta United FC as much as the players that will actually play in the game.

The Saturday match between Cincinnati (2-4-0) and Atlanta (3-2-1) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be lacking for some star power as both clubs will field teams lacking some of their best players.

Most notable among those confirmed to miss Saturday's game is star Atlanta goal-scorer Josef Martinez, who is scheduled to miss six-to-eight weeks undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, the club announced April 8.

In addition to Martinez's 91 goals and 14 assists in his 113-match Atlanta career, he's also one of the most prolific FC Cincinnati killers in MLS.

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Martinez has six career goals against Cincinnati in five games. He was also off to a respectable start in 2022 with a team-leading two goals for Atlanta.

"He's been the centerpiece of what they've done there for four the last five years," FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Alec Kann said of Martinez. "So, it's a big hole to fill. They have a lot of depth in that club, and whoever comes in will bring probably something different. But that doesn't mean that it'll be any easier on us. We're going to prepare, no matter who's on the field, to keep them off the scoreboard.”

Atlanta will also be without Ozzie Alonso, a veteran midfielder who his ACL on April 2 against D.C. United and on Thursday underwent successful surgery.

Without Martinez and Alonso, the "Five Stripes" won't lack for quality but they're undeniably depleted with those particular players. Even without Martinez, however, the supply line of goals still looks suitable as seven players have contributed one goal apiece this season.

In last weekend's 1-0 loss at Charlotte FC, Dom Dwyer led the attack for Atlanta. He could be in line to again stand in for Martinez against Cincinnati.

During Thursday remarks at the Mercy Health Training Center, FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan noted his club's awareness of Atlanta's health woes.

“Certainly, they've lost some key players over the last week or two, but they also have a strong roster," Noonan said. "They have a lot of depth, so it's going to be a challenging game. They have physical center backs, good pace at the center back position, with their outside back, wing backs, with (Brooks) Lennon and (Andrew) Gutman, they get up and down so they can put you under a lot of pressure higher up the field.

"With Josef out, we've seen different options up top with speed, with experience. So it'll be a really good challenge, and a good atmosphere. But we know that if we go in confident, we can get a result. And if we execute, we can get a result, but it certainly will be a challenging game for us.”

FC Cincinnati enters Saturday somewhat depleted in its own right.

While it's not exactly breaking news that FCC left back Ronald Matarrita could be out for the remainder of 2022 after sustaining an ankle injury March 24, the club is still experimenting at the position to determine a serviceable replacement.

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Matarrita sustained the injury March 24 when his Costa Rican national team faced Canada in Concacaf World Cup qualifying. In his absence, FC Cincinnati has played two forwards (Alvaro Barreal and Dominique Badji), and veteran defenders Tyler Blackett and Ray Gaddis on the left side of the club's back line.

Cincinnati's conceded six goals in two matches with Matarrita out. That's not all down to failings by Matarrita's replacements, but the rotating cast of fill-ins isn't providing consistency.

Any of the aforementioned names could be candidates to substitute for Matarrita this weekend.

John Nelson, a natural left back acquired in the offseason who had been unavailable to train until recently due to his own injury concerns, might also be in the mix for a start. Nelson could also be a candidate to play with FC Cincinnati 2 in MLS Next Pro action on Sunday against New England Revolution as he's yet to log any minutes in 2022.

Add to that that FC Cincinnati right back Alvas Powell (six appearances, five starts in 2022) is listed as questionable for the Atlanta match due to a hamstring ailment suffered April 2 against Club de Foot Montreal, and the questions along FCC's back line continue to mount for Noonan.

For now, both clubs are in short supply of obvious, convincing answers to their respective personnel deficits.

The Game

Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET on Saturday | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

TV/Radio/stream: Star64/ESPN1530/fccincinnati.com

Series info: Atlanta leads the all-time series against FC Cincinnati with five wins, two draws and a loss (5-1-2). FC Cincinnati is 0-3-1 against Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Cincinnati.com prediction: Atlanta United 2, FC Cincinnati 1.

FC Cincinnati

2022 record: 2-4-0, six points; tied for 10th place in Eastern Conference

Goals for: Eight

Goals against: 14

Coach: Pat Noonan - first season at FC Cincinnati

Projected starting lineup:

Alec Kann (GK)

Alvas Powell, left wing back

Tyler Blackett, center back

Geoff Cameron, center back

Nick Hagglund, center back

Ray Gaddis, right wing back

Yuya Kubo, midfielder

Luciano Acosta, midfielder

Junior Moreno, midfielder

Brandon Vazquez, forward

Dominique Badji, forward

Atlanta United
2022 record: 3-2-1, 10 points; tied for third in Eastern Conference

Goals for: Nine

Goals against: Nine

Coach: Gonzalo Pineda - second season as Atlanta head coach (10-5-4 overall)

Projected starting lineup:

Brad Guzan, goalkeeper

George Campbell, left back

Alan Franco, center back

Miles Robinson, right back

Andrew Gutman, left wing back

Brooks Lennon, right wing back

Santiago Sosa, midfielder

Amar Sejdić, midfielder

Marcelino Moreno, forward

Thiago Almada, forward

Dom Dwyer, center forward

Player to watch: Alec Kann, FC Cincinnati goalkeeper – Kann made 34 appearances for Atlanta United's first team over five memorable seasons at the club. A native of Decatur, Georgia, Kann played in the "Five Stripes'" first-ever match. On Saturday, he'll line up against Atlanta for the first time. Kann said he isn't nostalgic for the club but will have friends and family in attendance, just as he had when he was an Atlanta player.

"It's a business trip. We're – I'm not going there to visit people," Kann said on Thursday. "I'm going to get a result and put my best foot forward and help this team win.”

Noteworthy: Luciano Acosta’s six career goals against Atlanta United FC are his most against any opponent.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Preview, prediction for FC Cincinnati's trip to face Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium