Revolution v. Charlotte FC: Injury Report and Projected Lineup
The New England Revolution begin their 2023 regular-season campaign on Saturday when they travel to face Charlotte FC. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
On Wednesday, the Revs released their pre-game injury report, which lists the following players as out: Andrew Farrell (right leg), Nacho Gil (right leg), Tommy McNamara (left leg), Maciel (left Achilles), and Jacob Jackson (left ACL).
Gustavo Bou is listed as questionable with the note “not injury related.” Bou should arrive in the United States soon. The Argentine attacker recently did a post on Instagram that translates to “last days in Concord!”
Of course, a lot can change in the coming days, but here’s my projected lineup for Saturday’s game.
The lineup is similar to the one that started against Orlando City SC in the preseason finale with a few exceptions.
First, I have Giacomo Vrioni starting instead of Bobby Wood. The DP striker scored a goal and forced an own goal, so he gets the nod for me.
I also have Latif Blessing playing alongside Matt Polster. Blessing missed the Orlando game, but he was pictured at practice on Wednesday. If he’s not ready to go, I’d like to see Jack Panayotou or Noel Buck play in the middle.
The decision in the middle affects who will play on the right, in my opinion. If Blessing or Buck play centrally, I think Panayotou moves to the peripheries. Buck is also an option to play outside if Blessing is a starter.
Could we see a 5-3-2 or 4-4-2? Maybe, but I’m predicting a 4-2-3-1 because that’s what we saw at the end of preseason.