Louisville City FC will feature Adrien Perez in its starting 11 on Saturday for the first time since he left a June 8 game early due to injury.
Coach Danny Cruz selected the forward for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Hartford Athletic — and Perez’s return to fitness comes at an opportune time for the boys in purple.
Cruz made just the one change from last weekend’s victory over the Charleston Battery, but he’s short of substitutes. Sam Gleadle remains out, Wes Charpie entered the weekend questionable, and Sean Totsch will miss for an excused absence.
LouCity (17-4-2, 53 points) is going for its sixth straight win, while Hartford (7-12-4, 25 points) also enters off a victory, breaking up an otherwise dismal run of form that has the Athletic 11th of 12 in the Eastern Conference standings.
City starts Damian Las in goal behind a back three of Kyle Adams, Arturo Ordóñez and Aiden McFadden, who moves in from his regular wingback role.
Amadou Dia (left) and Jansen Wilson (right) will man the flanks out wide beside the regular midfield pairing of Taylor Davila and Elijah Wynder.
Perez has the right side of a front three featuring Ray Serrano and Wilson Harris.
Charpie is available off the bench despite carrying a knock, while Cruz again has at his disposal Phillip Goodrum, a recent transfer in who scored on debut in the Charleston win. LouCity Academy defender Hayden Stamps will also dress for his first away game of the season.
LouCity at Hartford is set to air locally on WBKI/The CW and ESPN Louisville’s AM 680/FM 105.7. ESPN+ will carry national streaming coverage.
Team Sheet vs. Hartford Athletic
18 – Damian Las
13 – Amadou Dia
32 – Kyle Adams (C)
5 – Arturo Ordóñez
2 – Aiden McFadden
25 – Jansen Wilson
17 – Taylor Davila
23 – Elijah Wynder
7 – Ray Serrano
14 – Wilson Harris
16 — Adrien Perez
Substitutes: 30 – Ryan Troutman, 6 – Wes Charpie, 80 — Hayden Stamps, 11 – Niall McCabe, 22 – Dylan Mares, 27 – Evan Davila, 9 – Phillip Goodrum
