One topic that’s unavoidable when discussing Austin FC this season is player injuries. The health (or lack thereof) of players on the Starting XI is profoundly impacting the success of the Verde.
We all witnessed this firsthand with Julio Cascante’s adductor strain sustained in the season-opening match against St. Louis CITY SC. The ripple effect of this single injury forced Alex Ring to play out of position at center back. Plus, the club had to sign free agent defender Amro Tarek and acquire defender Aleksandar Radovanović on loan. (Not to mention the demotion of defender Kipp Keller due to poor play after subbing on for Cascante in that fateful match.)
With that in mind, here’s a list of known first-team Austin FC player injuries compiled from official statements and media reports.
| Name | Position | Injury | Recovery Time | Return (Est.)* | |
| Leo Vaisanen | Defender | LCL tear | 8+ weeks | vs. St. Louis (8/20) | |
| Sebastian Driussi | Midfielder | Groin strain | 3-4 weeks | vs. Minnesota (5/31) | |
| Žan Kolmanič | Defender | Right ACL | Entire Season | 2024 | |
| Julio Cascante | Defender | Concussion Protocol | 1 week | vs. Toronto (5/20) | |
| Diego Fagundez | Midfielder | Right adductor strain | 4-5 Weeks | vs. Dallas (5/13) | |
| Sofiane Djeffal | Midfielder | Ankle injury | 2 Weeks | vs. Portland (5/6) | |
| Julio Cascante | Defender | Left adductor strain | 8 Weeks | vs. San Jose (4/29) |
*Player return date is an estimate based on latest reports.
We’ll keep this Austin FC injury report updated throughout the season, so check back for any changes.
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Cover photo courtesy Austin FC
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