'At least for a month out': Austin FC's injury woes continue ahead of trip to Sandy, Utah
The injury news we feared about Dani Pereira is upon us. But there's progress being made for some of Verde's other currently injured players.
The Frail Four looks to be switching out a member.
At Thursday's media availability, Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez gave the good news/bad news report on fullback Mikkel Desler and midfielder Dani Pereira ahead of Saturday's away match at Real Salt Lake at altitude in the outskirts of Salt Lake City.
"Tomorrow we'll evaluate his status, but it feels like if everything goes well, he can be in the roster," Estévez said of Desler.
"Dani Pereira will be at least for a month out. He has a hamstring injury," he said, confirming the worst fears generated in a frustrating 3-1 loss to Charlotte FC last weekend.
Pressed further, Estévez reported it's an upper hamstring injury, which the internet says "causes deep buttock or high thigh pain, often near the 'sit bone' (ischial tuberosity), frequently occurring in runners or from sudden overload." The internet also puts recovery at two to six weeks, indicating Pereira's injury is more on the severe end of the spectrum.
In other Frail Four news:
Brandon Vázquez: "Keeps working on his recovery every day. He's doing better, but still not long, but a little bit more like April – we'll start seeing his training with the team and everything where he can get his timeline to come back."
Owen Wolff: "Progressing really well. I think he has had a really good week. And I think if he has another good week, we'll be probably ready for [him to] come back after the after the FIFA window [in late March]."
Robert Taylor: "Progressing also well, and I think he will be with the team next week if everything goes well."
He also revealed that Jayden Nelson has been with the team throughout the week; it looks like the precautionary early sub-out against Charlotte may have preserved him for this and upcoming matches.
Asked why this is all happening, Estévez reasoned that it's a confluence of unrelated circumstances that have put Verde in a roster hole.
"Brandon was already injured. Owen was a surgery. Taylor was his knee, unfortunately, from a shot himself. He just kicked the ground in the game against Minnesota," he said. "The only muscle one is the one from Dani, and that is a little bit more frustrating."
Assessing RSL
Estévez also praised the upcoming opponent.
"They're a team that has a lot of youth, quality, players that have fit really well into the system," he said. "They had good signings throughout the offseason, and that has strengthened the team. And it's going to be difficult. Rather, it's always a difficult team in this league, and more playing away, that field is really difficult for every team that plays there."
Nodding to the disadvantage Verde found themselves in, going a man down from a minute 23 red card foul against Charlotte, Estévez added. "But I think we showed in our two games at home, in our 22 minutes away, even in the first half with 10 men, that we are ready to compete in our games."
"They're much more willing to play good young players, very dynamic, very explosive, can stretch us really quickly," added veteran defender Brendan Hines-Ike, called upon to complement his coach on Thursday. "More importantly for us, we know that in general, it's hard to go play there. It's not a notoriously good place for us ... and so I think we're very aware of that."
RSL dropped its opener 1-0 to Vancouver, but responded with a 2-1 win over Seattle and a 3-2 win at Atlanta to move up to 7th in the West. They're also outpacing their underlying American Soccer Analysis numbers, with six points compared to an xPoints total of just 2.9, and a goals added differential of -2.04, good for 25th in the lead.
(However, that's just behind Charlotte, who looked fine last week, though that Galaxy loss the week prior dropped them in a hole, and just ahead of Orlando, off to such a bad 0W 0D 3L start[[1]] that the team "mutually parted ways" with longtime head coach Oscar Pareja midweek.)
It's not just injuries
Of course, it's not just midfield ball progression Estévez will have to worry about on Saturday. Guilherme Biro will be out with his red card this weekend unless the league provides a surprise reversal — and since the league fined him for not leaving the field in a timely fashion following his exit, that seems doubtful.
Still, Estévez thinks they can weather that.
"[Žan] Kolmanič played the first game as a fullback. [Jon Bell] has to do it a little bit in the other game as a side center back. And then when we switched to a four, he was the left back. And then [Joseph] Rosales also has played in the preseason as a fullback," he added, calling his "he never played left back; he played left wingback" comment back into attention.
"Then I think we have good cover there on the other side for Jonny [Gallagher]," he said, hinting that if Desler is activated for Saturday, it'll be as a sub, with the Swiss Army knife getting the start. Mateja {Đorđević] also has played as a right back a lot of games in his team and then we have also Thomas Riley from the second team," which has become Estévez's endearing name for Riley Thomas. "I think we have good options there, probably."
[[1]]: Do you prefer we use what MLS is currently using, ordering standings W-L-D like traditional American sports leagues, or do you prefer the more world-soccer-friendly W-D-L? I'm a style crossroads here after being fairly W-L-D-adherent.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) wherever you get your podcasts.
Nico Estévez said that Guilherme Biro's red card on Saturday was not just a disservice to Biro and the whole team, but to soccer. Still, there are lessons to learn from this otherwise forgettable match.
This match had nearly everything ... except for an Austin FC player scoring a goal, or Austin FC getting a result. The team's first road match of 2026 was, in a word, nightmarish.
The Frail Four looks to be switching out a member.
At Thursday's media availability, Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez gave the good news/bad news report on fullback Mikkel Desler and midfielder Dani Pereira ahead of Saturday's away match at Real Salt Lake at altitude in the outskirts of Salt Lake City.
"Tomorrow we'll evaluate his status, but it feels like if everything goes well, he can be in the roster," Estévez said of Desler.
"Dani Pereira will be at least for a month out. He has a hamstring injury," he said, confirming the worst fears generated in a frustrating 3-1 loss to Charlotte FC last weekend.
Pressed further, Estévez reported it's an upper hamstring injury, which the internet says "causes deep buttock or high thigh pain, often near the 'sit bone' (ischial tuberosity), frequently occurring in runners or from sudden overload." The internet also puts recovery at two to six weeks, indicating Pereira's injury is more on the severe end of the spectrum.
In other Frail Four news:
He also revealed that Jayden Nelson has been with the team throughout the week; it looks like the precautionary early sub-out against Charlotte may have preserved him for this and upcoming matches.
Asked why this is all happening, Estévez reasoned that it's a confluence of unrelated circumstances that have put Verde in a roster hole.
"Brandon was already injured. Owen was a surgery. Taylor was his knee, unfortunately, from a shot himself. He just kicked the ground in the game against Minnesota," he said. "The only muscle one is the one from Dani, and that is a little bit more frustrating."
Assessing RSL
Estévez also praised the upcoming opponent.
"They're a team that has a lot of youth, quality, players that have fit really well into the system," he said. "They had good signings throughout the offseason, and that has strengthened the team. And it's going to be difficult. Rather, it's always a difficult team in this league, and more playing away, that field is really difficult for every team that plays there."
Nodding to the disadvantage Verde found themselves in, going a man down from a minute 23 red card foul against Charlotte, Estévez added. "But I think we showed in our two games at home, in our 22 minutes away, even in the first half with 10 men, that we are ready to compete in our games."
"They're much more willing to play good young players, very dynamic, very explosive, can stretch us really quickly," added veteran defender Brendan Hines-Ike, called upon to complement his coach on Thursday. "More importantly for us, we know that in general, it's hard to go play there. It's not a notoriously good place for us ... and so I think we're very aware of that."
RSL dropped its opener 1-0 to Vancouver, but responded with a 2-1 win over Seattle and a 3-2 win at Atlanta to move up to 7th in the West. They're also outpacing their underlying American Soccer Analysis numbers, with six points compared to an xPoints total of just 2.9, and a goals added differential of -2.04, good for 25th in the lead.
(However, that's just behind Charlotte, who looked fine last week, though that Galaxy loss the week prior dropped them in a hole, and just ahead of Orlando, off to such a bad 0W 0D 3L start[[1]] that the team "mutually parted ways" with longtime head coach Oscar Pareja midweek.)
It's not just injuries
Of course, it's not just midfield ball progression Estévez will have to worry about on Saturday. Guilherme Biro will be out with his red card this weekend unless the league provides a surprise reversal — and since the league fined him for not leaving the field in a timely fashion following his exit, that seems doubtful.
Still, Estévez thinks they can weather that.
"[Žan] Kolmanič played the first game as a fullback. [Jon Bell] has to do it a little bit in the other game as a side center back. And then when we switched to a four, he was the left back. And then [Joseph] Rosales also has played in the preseason as a fullback," he added, calling his "he never played left back; he played left wingback" comment back into attention.
"Then I think we have good cover there on the other side for Jonny [Gallagher]," he said, hinting that if Desler is activated for Saturday, it'll be as a sub, with the Swiss Army knife getting the start. Mateja {Đorđević] also has played as a right back a lot of games in his team and then we have also Thomas Riley from the second team," which has become Estévez's endearing name for Riley Thomas. "I think we have good options there, probably."
[[1]]: Do you prefer we use what MLS is currently using, ordering standings W-L-D like traditional American sports leagues, or do you prefer the more world-soccer-friendly W-D-L? I'm a style crossroads here after being fairly W-L-D-adherent.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) wherever you get your podcasts.
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