The New York Red Bulls defense is going to be less than at full strength this weekend.
Set to host D.C. United in their 2015 home opener on Sunday (5 pm ET; ESPN2), the Red Bulls will be without one starting defender and possibly two due to injury. Left back Roy Miller has been ruled out of the match at Red Bull Arena because of a knee injury picked up in training earlier this week, and center back Ronald Zubar's status is still up in the air as he attempts to recover from a hamstring issue that flared up during the opening weekend's 1-1 road draw vs. Sporting Kansas City.
"Roy Miller is out for the weekend," New York head coach Jesse Marsch told reporters during a conference call on Thursday. "He's a week-to-week basis, so we've ruled him out for this weekend but we'll see how it fits – he's been called into Costa Rica – and trying to figure out what the reality is for him potentially being available for [the March 28 game vs.] Columbus as well.
"Ronald is day-to-day. He's had a very good week. He is on the field today with our medical staff, and we're hoping that he'll be in training tomorrow and we'll evaluate how it fits for the weekend. We're hoping that he can continue to progress."
With Miller a scratch, the Red Bulls are planning to turn to the recently-signedKemar Lawrence. The Jamaican international has been with the club since the preseason, and Marsch is plenty confident about Lawrence's ability to step in and perform right away.
"The goal is to start him for this weekend, and we think that he will do a very good job," said Marsch. "The one thing about him is that he's pretty fearless. I don't think he's a guy that's intimated by big events, and he's shown that by his international experiences in Switzerland, against Egypt, against Serbia. He's played in big games already.
"For a 22-year-old from Jamaica, he's already played against some really good players and in big games. I expect him to be ready and to play well on Sunday."
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Another youngster that Marsch might lean on this weekend is Matt Miazga, the Homegrown product and US Under-20 national team defender. Miazga filled in for Zubar when the veteran center back was forced off in Week 1's draw with Sporting KC, and will be the choice again vs. D.C. United if Zubar is not deemed fit enough by the weekend.
"If Ronald's not ready, then the plan would be to start Matt," said Marsch. "I've said from the beginning that one of my goals is to help him establish himself in this group and in this league. I think he has such a big upside, and we've worked with him a lot in terms of giving him ideas of how he can get better, how tactically he can fit into what we're doing.
"The hardest part's been with his month-long injury at the start of preseason, he hasn't had time to integrate himself with the same timeline that everybody has had, so it's taken him a little bit more time to get up to speed. But I believe in him ... If it winds up being Matt this Sunday, then I'll have full confidence in having him on the field and knowing that he can do the job necessary."
