Atlanta United players who have suffered catastrophic injuries in recent weeks, goalkeepers Brad Guzan and Dylan Castanheira and midfielder Ozzy Alonso, have been added to the injury list at the end of the season according to the club.
Guzan suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right leg against FC Cincinnati on April 16 and underwent successful surgery to repair the tendon on April 19. Alonso suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee on April 2 and a Castanheira ruptured the Achilles tendon in his left leg during training on April 6.
Here are the MLS rules regarding the list of injuries:
If a player sustains an injury at the end of the season, the club may place that injured player on the end-of-season injury list and receive an exemption from the list (ie an open roster slot). Once placed on the end-of-season injury list, the affected player will not be eligible to play for the club in any remaining competition during this MLS season (including any exhibition games or tournaments, including but not limited to: League Cup, Campeones Cup, CONCACAF). Champions LeagueThe Canadian Championship and Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
Substitute player for injury at the end of the season
A club may replace an injured player listed in the end-of-season injury list with a new replacement player in accordance with the criteria below.
The club will still be responsible for drawing up the full salary budget of the injured player. Clubs may implement a deal to create space for the salary budget in order to sign such a replacement player. This is the only circumstance in which a club may trade against the salary budget space. Clubs are only able to receive a salary budget exemption (paid out of the club’s own pocket) for end-of-season injury based on the following criteria:
An injured player must earn at least $100,000 annually.
The injured player must have suffered an end-of-season injury prior to the closure of the base conversion window The new player must be acquired as of this date.
A substitute player may earn up to $250,000 but not more than a player who has sustained an injury at the end of the season.
The replacement player fee will be paid to the club.
Clubs are only allowed to sign one replacement player per MLS season.
If the injured player occupies an international slot in the top players list, the substitute player may also be an international player.
End-of-season injuries
If a player on the club’s supplement list suffers an injury at the end of the season, the club may replace that injured player with a player earning the minimum salary regardless of the salary the injured player earns (for example, if a player of the adidas generation earns more than the injury minimum Reserve salary, and can be replaced by a player who receives the minimum reserve salary (subject to the club’s salary budget)). The minimum reserve salary for this substitute player will be calculated on the club’s salary budget.
Accordingly, the club must have room in the salary budget to replace the player who has sustained an injury at the end of the season in the supplementary list with a replacement player.
If the injured player occupies an international slot in the additional list, the substitute player may also be an international player.
