It’s been a summer transfer window. Last Monday was a monumental day for the Columbus Crew, acquiring center back Rudy Camacho from CF Montreal. But then news broke that playmaker Lucas Zelarayan was being transferred out to Saudi Arabia hours before the Leagues Cup game against Club América. Many fans were nervous about the game without Zelarayan, but then the Black & Gold crushed the Liga MX sid 4-1., a game in which wing back Julian Gressel made his Columbus debut and recorded an assist. 

Three of the Crew’s top five earners have departed this transfer window: defender Milos Degenek, goalkeeper Eloy Room and Zelarayan. Newly signed Designated Player forward Diego Rossi will alter the profile of this club, but will not be available for this game.

With so much recent transfer activity, the Crew’s starting 11 for the Round of 32 game against Minnesota United will be changing drastically moving forward. The Black & Gold entered the Leagues Cup the healthiest they have been all season, with only wing back Will Sands out, and have not picked up any injuries. New signings Gressel and defender Yevhen Cheberko have made appearances off the bench and may be ready for larger roles. While Camecho is familiar with head coach Wilfried Nancy’s playstyle, it still may take him a week or more to get fully acclimated to his new teammates.

Here is how we predict Columbus will start Friday night’s match:

Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte returned to the starting lineup with eight saves against Club América. He was also saved by the offside flag a couple of times. His ability to keep the ball out of the net and play in possession were big factors when it came to taking down the Liga MX side. After this performance, it would be shocking to see Schulte on the bench.

Cheberko will make his first starting appearance in this match as the left center back. Defender Steven Moreira will start again as the right center back while Sean Zawadzki mans the middle center back position. 

Cheberko’s inclusion along the backline will allow Malte Amundsen to push up as the left wing back. Yaw Yeboah will be able to rest this match to be fully fit for the potential Round of 16 matchup. Gressel will make his first start at the right wing back position. While it is still early in Gressel’s time in Columbus, he comes fully fit and ready to contribute to the starting 11.

The Black & Gold will again rely on the midfielder pairing of Aidan Morris and captain Darlington Nagbe. While Columbus faltered in the possession statistic against Club América, the two midfielders were major protagonists in the match.

The Crew no longer has Zelarayan and hopes that newcomer Rossi will hit the ground running as soon as he can break into the lineup. Rossi will not make an appearance in this match. Forward Cucho Hernandez scored two goals in a statement win against América and he again will lead the line. Along with Hernandez, the Black & Gold will rely on midfielder Alexandru Matan and forward Christian Ramirez. Both Hernandez and Ramirez will be looking forward to playing a full shift with Gressel, who is one of the premier crossers in the MLS.