Atlanta United will be without one of their top defenders when they take on Toronto FC in Wednesday's Eastern Conference Final.
Miles Robinson, a Best XI selection and MLS Defender of the Year finalist, has been ruled out by head coach Frank de Boer for the club's Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs matchup on Wednesday (8 pm ET | FS1, FOX Deportes in US; TVAS, TSN 1/4 in Canada). He had previously suffered a hamstring injury while in camp with the US men's national team for Concacaf Nations League games.
Without Robinson, the defending MLS Cup champs posted a 2-0 win last Thursday over the Philadelphia Union in the semifinal round – all with fellow defender Michael Parkhurst also on the sidelines. Absent of that duo, De Boer opted for a four-back system that paired Leandro Gonzalez Pirez with Florentin Pogba centrally.
There’s a good chance De Boer could resort to that lineup, though the absence of Robinson will certainly be noticeable. He’s broken into the USMNT picture during a breakout year, allowing Atlanta to play with a three-back system that’s dependent on his athleticism and ability to put out fires.
Notably, Robinson hasn’t yet been ruled out for MLS Cup, which is set for Nov. 10 at a to-be-determined site.
