Nashville SC aims to maintain its lead in the MLS Eastern Conference with a match against Atlanta United on Saturday, though they may be without their top scorer for a second consecutive game.
Sam Surridge missed Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over Liga MX’s Club America due to a hamstring injury and is questionable for the upcoming match. He is currently tied for the most goals in MLS with seven.
“He’s made progress, but he needs to clear a few hurdles with our medical team to see if he can be ready for Atlanta,” Nashville head coach BJ Callaghan stated.
Despite Atlanta’s low ranking (1-5-1, 4 points), Callaghan is treating the derby match seriously. “Standings don’t matter much this early in the season. They’ll put forth their best effort,” he said. “We’ve had competitive matches in the past.”
Atlanta recently ended a three-game losing streak by beating Chattanooga FC 3-1 in the U.S. Open Cup.
While Atlanta has only one win in MLS, a positive result against Nashville could give them a needed boost. “We need to improve both our results and the team’s confidence,” said head coach Tata Martino through an interpreter.
Atlanta will be without Miguel Almiron for up to two weeks due to knee irritation, and Steven Alzate is also sidelined with an adductor injury.
The history between Nashville and Atlanta is evenly matched, with each team having four wins and five draws in their previous 13 regular-season encounters.