The Columbus Crew hosts Nashville SC on Saturday night at Lower.com Field, looking to get revenge for the reverse match loss only a few weeks prior. Saturday’s MLS matchup also is the beginning of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and both teams have key players out on international duty for this regional tournament. 

Columbus will be without midfielders Kevin Molino and Aidan Morris, as well as forward Jacen Russell-Rowe. Molino will help Trinidad and Tabago try and advance in the Gold Cup. Morris made firm his decision to represent the United States instead of Canada, which he was eligible for through his father. Russell-Rowe received his first-ever Canada senior team call up for the Gold Cup.

Aside from the players out on international duty, three players will be unavailable due to injury. Defenders Milos Degenek, Will Sands and Josh Williams are all definitive outs for this match. Degenek is listed as questionable, but head coach Wilfried Nancy confidently told the media midweek that Degenek was not going to play against Nashville. While Williams is not on the injury report and has been in training, he has not had any game action since the preseason and Nancy said Williams will be playing with the reserve side before he gets back into first-team action. 

Taking that all into account, let’s take a look at how we believe the Crew will line up against Nashville.

Goalkeeper Eloy Room has been out with injury for quite some time but played over the international window for Curaçao in the Gold Cup qualifying round. It seems Room is fit to play, but it also that Nancy favors young goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. Expect Schulte to start. If Room continues to be absent from the starting lineup, it may signal a changing of the guard at the goalkeeper position. 

The defensive back three has to look different this week. With Morris on international duty, it is likely that Sean Zawadzki will step up into the midfield, his natural position, while defender Steven Moreira moves back to right center back. Defender Gustavo Vallecilla will step in as the middle center back while wing back Malte Amundsen continues to man the left center back position.

With Amundsen needed at center back, winger Yaw Yeboah will continue in his role as the left wing back, Mohamed Farsi will look to put his late gaffe last match behind him with a good outing at right wing back. Midfielder Alexandru Matan might get a look at this position. Nancy has tough decisions to make with Matan who has been a top performer with eight goal contributions, but there is plenty of quality already in the attack for the Black & Gold. Playing Matan as the right wing back might be Nancy getting his best players on the field.

With Morris gone, midfielder and captain Darlington Nagbe will be accompanied by Zawadzki in the center of the field. Both players will need to be on the same page to keep Nashville attacker Hany Mukhtar off the scoresheet.

The aforementioned quality in attack comes from the trident of forwards Cucho Hernandez and Christian Ramirez aand playmaker Lucas Zelarayan. Ramirez’s work to occupy the center backs, making consistent runs into the penalty box towards the goal has given freedom to Hernandez and Zelarayan, making this trio the first-choice attack for Nancy. Unfortunately for Matan, this has kept him on the bench recently, aside from when Zelarayan is on international duty. While with Armenia, Zelarayan scored two goals and had an assist against Wales. Even with significant travel, Zelarayan will start this match, while Matan will be a useful replacement if Zelarayan cannot go the full 90 minutes.