Hartford travel to Pawtucket this weekend to take on RIFC at Centreville Bank Stadium in a USL Championship clash on Saturday night. It’s the third of four scheduled meetings between the two clubs this season, and will be the eighth edition of El Clamico in just the last three seasons, with the regular league home-and-home being supplemented by two USL Cup games and a clash in the U.S. Open Cup as well. In the two previous meetings, RIFC claimed a 2-0 win in the Open Cup, and then the two sides played to a nil-nil draw in the USL Cup, with RIFC claiming the bonus point by way of a penalty shootout win.

As for what those two prior meetings say about Saturday night’s fixture, it’s a mixed bag. “The first time was a little false,” said Burke. “We didn't play any regular starters in the Open Cup. I've said it before and I know people have mixed feelings about it, but I don't prioritize it. The second time we played them toe to toe and went nil-nil at our place in the cup. Ultimately that proved enough by putting up a clean sheet in that game to see us through the group as group winners. So they might have won in penalties, but we won that group. So that was a great effort.”

With two meetings already this season, and so many clashes in barely two calendar years, the teams are becoming very familiar with one another. One thing that is apparent to Brendan Burke is how comparatively well-resourced RIFC are, which gives them advantages when it comes to depth and consistency.

“I think what I've learned about them is they're pretty consistent. They seem to stay healthy. They seem to always be available. They're one of the biggest teams in the league. They can really grind on you, and they have a lot of options. They're a really deep franchise. They're a really deep team. Obviously  their ability to keep throwing resources at you shows through.”

Hartford will never be accused of being able to keep throwing resources at a problem, and the team is still dealing with the effects of less-than-ideal preseason preparations, as well as decisions in other areas that have hampered their rest and recovery throughout the first half of this campaign. After recovering from one rash of injuries, Hartford now face another similar situation, which means Burke is taking a pragmatic approach to Saturday night.

“I'd take anything from this game, honestly, given the state that we're in,” Burke said on Thursday. “I would take anything from it and it's going to take a huge effort from the guys that are available.”

That ‘state’ is once again riddled by injuries, with Samuel Careaga, Michee Ngalina, Adewale Obalola and Matt Real among the players who are unavailable for selection, with several others facing late fitness tests to determine their availability fo Saturday night’s game. In his pregame media availability, Burke did not appear hopeful that things would break his way.

Missing so many key pieces will present problems for Burke, who simply won’t have many options off the bench. That obviously makes it difficult to adapt to the game; If Abdullah Taofeek has to start in place of an injured Michee Ngalina, and Adewale Obalola is definitely unavailable, the ability to add even a burst of energy into attack depends on whether or not Sadat Anaku is able to go. If he isn’t, there’s nothing to be done off the bench, regardless of how well things are – or aren’t – working.

“We don't have a lot of ways to solve if things happen during the game, so we have to be on point. We have to be really good at all the small details. We go in there always with huge respect for both their individual quality, but the the way they're managed, the way the the team is run through from Khano all the way through. You have to be damn near perfect to come out of there with something.”

Perfection might not be possible on Saturday night, as bad weather throughout New England might turn the game into a rain-delayed slopfest. That could certainly break in Hartford’s favor, as anything can happen in a sloppy game. And given the depleted roster, that might be the Latics’ best hope for a result in this one.