Atlanta United striker Josef Martinez is expected to be sidelined at least one match with a knee and ankle injury he suffered in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes, head coach Frank De Boer said on Monday.
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Speaking to reporters, De Boer confirmed that Martinez is on crutches and is in considerable pain, but said the Venezuela international did not suffer any significant damage to his knee.
“Hopefully, he can return quicker than we expected,” de Boer said. “We are working day to day.”
Martinez exited the match in the 79th minute but appeared to suffer the injury several minutes before leaving the game.
His foot got stuck in the turf after colliding with a teammate, causing his right knee and ankle to buckle awkwardly. He tried to play through it but eventually couldn’t, and he departed the sideline on a stretcher, grimacing before putting a towel over his face.
Second-placed Atlanta next faces East-leaders New York City FC on Oct. 25 at Yankee Stadium before hosting the Montreal Impact four days later.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.