Galaxy injury list continues to grow ahead of Atlanta United match
Think it’s hard to get an appointment with your family doctor? Try getting in to see one of the Galaxy’s team physicians. The training room has been so busy this season, it’s best to leave a number and hope someone calls you back.
The injured list added another name Tuesday when the team announced that center back Daniel Steres will miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his back. He joins Baggio Husidic (fractured shinbone), Sebastian Lletget (foot fracture), Pele van Anholt (torn ACL and MCL), Bradley Diallo (hamstring) and Robbie Rogers (nerve damage) on the sidelines.
Lletget, van Anholt and Rogers will not play again this season, while Husidic’s return is uncertain. Seven other players have missed multiple games to injury this year.
The stumbling Galaxy will be without four front-line defenders Wednesday when they play red-hot Atlanta United at the newly christened Mercedes-Benz Stadium (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, 4 p.m. PT).
Atlanta (12-8-7), an expansion team making a push for the playoffs, has lost only one of its last 11 games. In its last two wins, both at home, it outscored the opposition 10-0 behind consecutive hat tricks from Venezuelan attacker Josef Martinez, who has seven goals in his last three games.
The Galaxy (7-15-6) have scored just eight times since July 4, winning only one of the last 13. This season, they have allowed more goals (52) than all but one team, falling to within a point of the league cellar.
They will be helped against Atlanta by the return of leading scorer Romain Alessandrini and midfield enforcer Jermaine Jones from one-game suspensions. But with six games left, the team is on pace to finish with the worst record in franchise history. And after being shut out by Toronto last Saturday for the sixth time in 10 games, coach Sigi Schmid told the team in a closed-door meeting that he’s ready to clean house and start over again next season.
“It was pretty frank. Guys are playing for their jobs,” defender Dave Romney said. “If that doesn’t motivate you, I don’t know what else will.”
Added goalkeeper Jon Kempin: “It wasn’t loud, but he was frustrated,” he said of Schmid’s message. “Play for some pride.”
Follow Kevin Baxter on Twitter @kbaxter11
