In his first road match at FC Cincinnati’s helm, Yoann Damet has made three changes to his starting lineup ahead of the Orange and Blue’s match at Orlando City SC.
Eric Alexander, Emmauel Ledesma and Kekuta Manneh replace Leo Bertone, Allan Cruz and Roland Lamah.
Notes on the starters
Ledesma makes his first start for Cincinnati since the 2-0 win at the New England Revolution on March 24. Manneh returns to the starting XI after coming in as a substitute in each of the last three matches. His last start was the 1-0 loss at New York Red Bulls on April 27. Alexander is back in the starting group after he last started on May 1 in the 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union.
Notes on the substitutes
Nazmi Albadawi is on the bench for the second time this season. He was an unused sub at New England. If he plays against Orlando City, it’ll be his MLS debut.
Kenny Saief is also available for selection after missing last weekend’s 2-1 win against the Montreal Impact with a hamstring issue. His last appearance was a start at the San Jose Earthquakes, where Cincinnati lost 1-0 on May 4.
Caleb Stanko also returns to the 18 having missed last match. He last played against the Earthquakes.
Injury notes
Fatai Alashe and Leo Bertone didn’t travel to Florida after sustaining hamstring injuries. Both injuries occurred during practice this week.
Allan Cruz is also unavailable with an ankle injury he suffered against Montreal last Saturday. On Friday, he worked out on the side of the field during media availability.
Corben Bone also stayed home with a shoulder injury. He hasn’t trained during media availability in the last few weeks.
Lamah is in Côte d’Ivoire for a family emergency. Sunday afternoon’s match is the first the winger will miss this season.
