Amidst a litany of absences, the New York Red Bulls had to contend with one more massive omission from their starting lineup on Saturday night when star midfielder Emil Forsberg was not included in the side.
Following a goalless draw against Nashville SC, head coach Sandro Schwarz revealed that the veteran playmaker is dealing with a right-foot injury, which he sustained during international duty with the Swedish national team during a June 8 friendly against Serbia.
Forsberg started the match and went 62 minutes before getting subbed off in the 3-0 loss.
“We have to check him for the next few days,” Schwarz said. “If it’s possible, maybe [he’ll be ready] against Montreal or maybe the next home game against Toronto next Saturday. He had some problems after his national team [work] with Sweden.”
New York’s match against Montreal comes on Wednesday in Quebec as they contend with a roster that has been dramatically shorthanded after the calendar flipped to June.
While Forsberg joined Sweden for its friendlies, his compatriot in defender Noah Eile was called into the country’s U-21 side. Starting goalkeeper Carlos Coronel was called up to the Paraguayan national team for Copa America 2024, which begins in the United States on June 20. Attacker Lewis Morgan, arguably the team’s most valuable player this season alongside Forsberg, was a late call-up to the Scottish national team for Euro 2024.
The Red Bulls dropped their first match with their depleted roster on June 8 while Saturday’s draw against Nashville brought them to 30 points this season, which ranks third in the Eastern Conference. They come away with a hollow feeling, however, considering they out-attempted Nashville in shots by a count of 22-6 — making the absences of Forsberg and Morgan all the more felt.
“This was the main part for us to create our moments when we were in the red zone, on the outside behind the line, to create our moments in the box,” Schwarz said. “We had these situations, and now this is what we must continue. I’m sure we have the quality, as well, to score. But I agree with all these numbers. It’s a little bit more than I would say, frustrated.”
Forsberg, 32, is in his first year with New York after making a blockbuster move from Red Bull Leipzig of the German Bundesliga in December. In 14 MLS matches, he has six goals with four assists.
