Hot off combining for a cup goal as substitutes in the midweek, forwards Chris Donovon and Ray Serrano return to the Louisville City FC starting XI for tonight’s 6 p.m. meeting with Detroit City FC at Keyworth Stadium.
Donovan will start up front for LouCity for the first time in the league in nearly a month (April 4), replacing Tola Showunmi.
Serrano will be flanked to his left as he takes the place of Evan Davila. Wilson, who scored alongside Serrano against DCFC last year in Louisville, completes the frontline trio on the right wing.
The dual swap in attack represents two of Simon Bird’s three changes from Wednesday’s 2-1 extra-time defeat to Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo FC. The final one sees the versatile Sam Gleadle flex into the right wing back role for Manny Perez.
Amadou Dia is set to make his second league start Saturday, sitting opposite Gleadle as the left-sided wing back. Dia was one of four outfield players to play all 120 minutes Wednesday in Houston.
Goalkeeper Danny Faundez keeps his place as the anchor in net for the third consecutive match across all competitions. This, however, will be his first USL Championship start of 2026. Faundez was rock solid in the loss at the Dynamo, tallying eight saves. No Louisville keeper has made more than six saves in the league this year.
The backline of captain Kyle Adams, Brandon Dayes and Carlos Moguel Jr. remains unchanged in front of Faundez. The 17-year-old Dayes, continuing to play beyond his years, leads the team in accurate passes per 90 minutes (58).
Taylor Davila, who has played 90 minutes all but once this season in the regular season, will pair with Zach Duncan once again in the midfield. Duncan is slated to record his fifth straight start across all competitions.
Bird has plenty of talent within his list of available substitutes. Those are led by Showunmi, a goal scorer in the club’s most recent away league game, Mukwelle Akale and All-League defender Josh Jones. Jones played 46 minutes off the bench on Wednesday following an injury recovery — his first time back on the pitch since the season’s opening weekend.
Team Sheet at Detroit City FC
12 – Danny Faundez
13 – Amadou Dia
32 – Kyle Adams (c)
5 – Brandon Dayes
16 – Carlos Moguel Jr.
23 – Sam Gleadle
8 – Taylor Davila
6 – Zach Duncan
25 – Jansen Wilson
7 – Ray Serrano
9 – Chris Donovan
Substitutes: 30 – Ryan Troutman; 14 – Tola Showunmi, 15 – Manny Perez, 21 – Quenzi Huerman, 24 – Josh Jones, 27 – Evan Davila, 28 – Cameron Duke, 47 – Mukwelle Akale
