Tata Martino: We hope to have Josef Martinez, Greg Garza against D.C. United

Atlanta United have an interestingly timed two-week break to deal with starting after their dramatic 1-1 draw at Sporting Kansas City. Thanks to the delay of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, there’s now a gaping hole the size of the previous Gold Cup break a few weeks prior. If you’re looking for a positive spin on the lack of matches in the near future, it could offer the Fives Stripes a chance to get back to full-health.

Tata Martino told reporters after the match that he hopes to have Greg Garza and Josef Martinez available for selection once the break ends and Atlanta take on D.C. United for the third time this season on August 23.

“We hope that when we start up the season again, after this short break, they’ll be back.” — Tata Martino; Source: Quotes provided by ATLUTD

Martinez has been injured off and on for seemingly most of the season. After recovering from nearly a three-month layoff earlier in the season, he sustained what the team described as a “foot contusion” that has seen the star striker miss the last three league games.

Meanwhile, Garza suffered an unfortunate shoulder injury just three minutes into the MLS All-Star Game against Real Madrid. Thankfully, his recovery time has been set at just 7-10 days, meaning he should be good to go once the team resumes play.