Union dealing with injuries as they host FC Dallas

The Union navigated Saturday’s lifeless draw with LAFC without Jose Martinez or Jakob Glesnes.

For Wednesday’s visit from FC Dallas, they may add Julian Carranza to the list of absentees.

Carranza remained in concussion protocol Tuesday morning, casting doubt on his participation in a cross-conference clash Wednesday (7:30, APPLETV).

“We haven’t had a full group healthy here, not away on international break, suspended, whatever it might be,” manager Jim Curtin said Tuesday. “We haven’t had the full group together for too many games. But the objective is to have them ready to go in the final stretch of games.”

The objective is also to push toward second place in the East, a quest slowed by three consecutive draws. It’s not the worst return from the start of six games in 17 days for the Union (148-7, 49 points), but it does muddy the motivations this week, especially in an Eastern Conference where four teams are tied with 49 points.

The Union face one of those teams Saturday in Columbus. The Crew, who don’t play midweek, will be fresh and are 11-1-3 at home. Dallas is the Union’s game in hand over the Crew and one of two over Atlanta United, which the Union face next week in Chester.

Curtin will prioritize the home points and push his team hard against Dallas. Should they beat Dallas and lose to Columbus, they’d be even on points, though the Crew hold the goals-for tiebreaker.

“The three points at home is going to be our priority, and that’s tomorrow,” Curtin said. “We’ll get through it and we’ll regroup.”

Dallas (10-10-9, 39 points) has to deal with similar fixture congestion and divided attentions. Dallas holds the ninth and final playoff spot in the West. It did the Union a big favor by drawing Columbus Saturday.

Dallas is unbeaten in four, including a huge 3-1 win at Real Salt Lake last Wednesday. But they visit Houston Saturday in a Western collision before winnable home clashes with Colorado and San Jose. It may behoove

Nico Estevez to keep his powder dry for those games.

The attrition of injuries is making it tough for the Union to go full bore after three points every time out. Glesnes is limited with a muscle issue that may require offseason sports hernia surgery. He didn’t play Saturday, ending a streak of 101 consecutive MLS starts.

“It’s literally hour-byhour, day-by-day, how he wakes up and how he feels,” Curtin said. “I can tell you, if it’s a playoff game tomorrow, he’s playing. So we have to navigate that pain tolerance and how much load we have on his legs.”

Martinez is dealing with a knee bruise, a combination of damage from international duty and in the draw with Charlotte last Wednesday. He’s likely only available off the bench.

Then there’s Carranza, who was leveled with a yellow-card late shoulder to the chest by Aaron Long in the second minute Saturday. He played on until halftime until reporting dizziness and being subbed out.

If he can’t go, Tai Baribo would be the logical replacement. The Israel international has gotten more run of late, starting and firing two shots in the draw in Charlotte. He set up what looked like a goal with his shot off the crossbar against LAFC before it was whistled away for offside.

“It’s good,” Baribo said Saturday. “I’m getting minutes, I’m getting more fit and I’m getting to know the players. This is more important, how they like to play in the team. But I feel that I am starting to play better and better every game.”

With the injury challenges, Curtin has tough choices to make. But Carranza’s absence also presents a rare opportunity up top. Either Baribo, Chris Donovan or Quinn Sullivan will get a chance. Baribo and Donovan looked OK but ultimately didn’t score in their start in Charlotte last week, a game in which Sullivan scored as a lategame sub in midfield.

Curtin didn’t tip his hand Tuesday beyond the refrain of needing everyone ready.

“We have a good group to choose from,” Curtin said. “We’ll make the one that maybe suits Dallas’ backline and the way that they play the best. But I can tell you right now we’re going to need all our strikers to be ready when called upon.”