Louisville City FC defender Aiden McFadden is set to appear for the first time since June 20 as LouCity hosts Birmingham Legion FC on Wednesday.
Kickoff at Lynn Family Stadium is set for 8 p.m. ET. The game will air locally on WBKI/CW and ESPN Louisville’s 680 AM/105.7 FM. For streaming, the game will be available on CBS Sports Golazo Network and WDRB+.
McFadden, who has battled injuries this year, has been versatile for the boys in purple this year, filling in at multiple positions throughout the defense and midfield. Wednesday, he will be in a spot that has become his normal home in Louisville, slotting in as the right wingback in Simon Bird’s back five.
Opposite McFadden will be Jake Morris at left wingback. This will be Morris’ sixth straight appearance in the starting lineup, all coming at the same position. Morris had success in the press, winning possession once per match in the final third on average.
The center backs for Louisville will have a new look, with Kevon Lambert dropping back to fill in the middle. Lambert returned from injury in early July after missing two months. While a midfielder for the entirety of his career, Lambert will look to continue a strong defensive season that’s seen him rank first on the team for defensive recoveries per 90 (7.94). Tonight will also be Lambert’s 200th career USL Championship regular season appearance.
Lambert will be sandwiched between two veterans for LouCity, with captain Kyle Adams on the left and Sean Totsch on the right. The duo will be making their 105th and 326th overall appearances in purple, respectively.
The backline will be the last men in front of French goalkeeper Hugo Fauroux in net. Fauroux, an offseason signing for LouCity, has started in 10 total matches this season. Tonight will be Fauroux’s first start since May 23 in Miami.
Zach Duncan and Taylor Davila will occupy the midfield. Duncan has ranked third on the squad this season in shots in league play, taking 21 in his 15 matches played. Last season saw Taylor Davila earn Player of the Year honors. He created 54 chances last season and is picking up right where he left off, already generating 37 chances for LouCity this season.
Louisville’s leading scorer Jansen Wilson headlines the three-man attack. With 11 goals scored across all competitions, Wilson has already set a personal best for goals in a single season, surpassing his rookie year total of nine.
He will be joined in the front three on the opposite wing by Mukwelle Akale, who has been efficient connecting with his teammates this season, completing passes 85.4% of the time.
Rounding out the lineup is center forward Chris Donovan. Donovan stands tied for the regular season team lead in both assists (4) and goal contributions (8). Tonight will be his 13th regular season start for City, and 22nd overall appearance.
On the bench, eight players are available for Simon Bird, headlined by LouCity Academy signee Cooper Conley. A native of Woodinville, Wash., Conley spent the summer on LouCity’s USL League Two development team.
He joins a bench that includes Danny Faundez, Manny Perez, Evan Davila, Amadou Dia, Ray Serrano, Cameron Duke and Tola Showunmi.
Team sheet vs. Birmingham Legion
1 – Hugo Fauroux
3 – Jake Morris
32 – Kyle Adams
31 – Kevon Lambert
4 – Sean Totsch
2 – Aiden McFadden
8 – Taylor Davila
6 – Zach Duncan
25 – Jansen Wilson
47 – Mukwelle Akale
9 – Chris Donovan
Available substitutes: 12 – Danny Faundez; 7 – Ray Serrano, 13 – Amadou Dia, 14 – Tola Showunmi, 15 – Manny Perez, 27 – Evan Davila, 28 – Cameron Duke, 99 – Cooper Conley
