Atlanta United has been here before. Twice, in fact. In both 2017 and 2018, Atlanta United lost its most influential playmaker, Miguel Almiron, to hamstring injuries in the weeks preceding the MLS Cup playoffs. At the time, the injuries felt catastrophic — and they nearly were. But “lizard man,” as Greg Garza famously dubbed the Paraguayan, returned and helped Atlanta United in the playoffs (to varying degrees of success).
Josef Martinez’s situation is a bit different. Despite the initial optimistic indications shared Monday combined with the injury happening slightly earlier on the calendar than either of Almiron’s pulled hamstrings, this is still a tricky situation for the club to manage.