Story by
Number of early season injuries is preventing Nashville SC from fielding stable lineup
- Story by
- Number of early season injuries is preventing Nashville SC from fielding stable lineup
A little more than a month into the 2024 MLS season, Nashville SC leads the league in one category. It's not the one the club was shooting for.
So far, 22 players have started an MLS game for Nashville (1-1-4, seven points, T-9th Eastern Conference). That's as many who started the entire 2023 season. Only defender Jack Maher and midfielder Dru Yearwood have started all six league games, and just three other MLS teams — Austin FC, Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders — have had even 20 starters in 2024.
Advertisement
Pick any one of Nashville's major contributors and it's likely he has missed significant time. Hany Mukhtar , the 2022 MVP, injured his hamstring in the first game of the season and was out for three games. Sam Surridge hurt his shoulder in the same game and missed five. Walker Zimmerman hasn't played since injuring his knee against Inter Miami on March 7 while still working his way back from offseason Achilles surgery.
Dan Lovitz, who started 32 games in 2023, has started just five of Nashville's 10 games across all competitions. Randall Leal injured his hamstring while training with Costa Rica in January and has yet to even play this season.
While Nashville's elimination from the CONCACAF Champions Cup has alleviated a heavily congested schedule, the injury bug hasn't stopped biting. Lukas MacNaughton suffered a hip injury prior to the March 23 loss at Los Angeles FC, and missed that game and Saturday's 2-2 draw at home against the Columbus Crew . Shaq Moore (hip) and Tyler Boyd (groin) also missed the Columbus match.
"Right now, we're going through one of the difficult periods in terms of health of the group," Nashville coach Gary Smith said Saturday. "I don't remember a time where we've been missing six senior players."
Advertisement
After the loss to LAFC, a worst-in-club-history 5-0 shellacking , Smith was asked if he believed the team — which has won just three of its past 20 games against MLS opposition dating to August — was headed in the right direction. His answer: It's too soon for the question.
"I don't know that we've had our best team on the field at any point in this early stage of the season," he said.
Smith isn't wrong. Designated players Mukhtar, Zimmerman and Surridge, the highest-paid players on the roster, haven't played a single minute together in 2024.
While Mukhtar and Surridge have been back for multiple weeks and shown flashes of being a cohesive attacking duo, Nashville was without three starters along the back line against defending MLS Cup champion Columbus. To Smith, it's not just that Zimmerman, MacNaughton and Moore were unavailable, but that their absences forced other players into positions they hadn't prepared for.
Advertisement
Alex Muyl , for example, spent the entire week getting ready to start in midfield before Moore was injured — which Smith said occurred during the last five minutes of training on Thursday — and had to fill in at right wingback instead.
Mar 30, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC forward Sam Surridge (9) and Columbus Crew defender Yevhen Cheberko (21) fight for the ball during the first half at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
Players such as Josh Bauer , Taylor Washington and Brian Anunga have delivered quality minutes in often surprising spots and could give Nashville great depth at full strength. That doesn't hold as much importance on a team that has rolled out a different starting XI in all 10 of its games.
"Lack of relationship-building, the caliber of guys we have out," Smith said. " . . . It's not just about the group that went out there, who I thought did a wonderful job. It's also about the changes we have off the bench as well. We are very, very stretched at the moment."
Advertisement
So if it's not yet appropriate to question Nashville's trajectory, when will it be? Smith hopes to have Boyd back in the lineup Saturday against the Philadelphia Union . Zimmerman and Leal both have a chance to play against Philadelphia, but more likely will remain out through Nashville's off week, with sights set on a return at Inter Miami on April 20. Smith is still waiting for the full prognosis on Moore, who underwent a scan Saturday.
Until then, Nashville will have to keep treading water, hoping that the moment will come when admirable draws start turning into decisive victories.
MORE: How does Nashville SC's Hany Mukhtar deal with fasting during Ramadan? His answer is simple
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC dealing with rash of injuries early in 2024 MLS season
