Greg Garza to miss 7-10 days for Atlanta United

Don’t panic, just breathe, everything will be OK: Greg Garza will miss just 7-10 days with the separated right shoulder he suffered in the MLS All Star game according to Doug Roberson of the AJC. The injury, which forced an early substitution in the opening minutes of the exhibition match, did not seem serious as Garza stayed near the sidelines for much of the first half and even shared a word or two with Miguel Almiron as he received treatment. The shoulder was the same one that forced Garza to be removed early in United’s 1-1 draw last weekend against Orlando City.

Luckily the injury is not serious but the schedule is unkind to Garza to make a timely return before the FIFA break in late August and early September. He will miss the Sporting Kansas City match and the timeline for his return also means he will also likely miss practice in the week leading up to the DC United game.

With his starting left back missing, coach Tata Martino will need to find a suitable replacement for him. Possibilities include Mikey Ambrose or Zach Loyd, each of whom will need to fill in for a key role on the left side of the attack and defense for Atlanta United.