Head coach Raphael Wicky and Chicago Fire FC are back on the road Thursday night for their first non-weekend contest of the 2021 campaign, as they prepare to take on D.C. United at Audi Field.
Both teams have been forced to navigate through a list of early season injuries, and will be looking to climb the Eastern Conference table with a win this evening. First-year head coach HernĂĄn Losada's side returns to Audi Field for the first time since their season-opener on April 17 also looking to course-correct from their current winless run of form.
Ahead of tonight's 7 p.m. CT kickoff on WGN-TV, CFFC Live, and WOJO 105.1 FM HD-3, get the details on Wicky's first-choice XI in the lineup notes below:
- Four changes have been made to tonight's lineup from last Saturday's match against the Philadelphia Union.
- Making his first career start tonight is Homegrown product Brian Gutiérrez. The 17-year-old midfielder becomes the youngest Homegrown signing and third-youngest player overall in Club history to start for the Fire.
- Defender Miguel Navarro gets his first start of 2021 as part of tonight's defensive unit. Navarro has appeared twice this season as a substitute, and makes his 21st career Fire appearance.
- Midfielder Ălvaro MedrĂĄn and defender/midfielder Mauricio Pineda return to the starting XI this evening after both made substitute appearances last weekend against Philadelphia.
- Wyatt Omsberg gets his second-consecutive start in central defense alongside captain Francisco Calvo. Team assist leader Boris SekuliÄ (2) rounds out the backline, lined up opposite Navarro out wide tonight.
- Midfielders GastĂłn GimĂ©nez and PrzemysĆaw Frankowski each receive their fifth-straight starts to begin the 2021 season as part of Wicky's midfield in D.C.
- Robert BeriÄ leads the attacking unit at forward, receiving his fifth-straight start of 2021 and 28th appearance of his Fire career.
- Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth continues to add to his impressive career MLS regular season start tally, earning his 203rd in net tonight.
- Available to Wicky as substitutions today are goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, defender Jhon Espinoza, defender Jonathan Bornstein, defender Johan Kappelhof, midfielder Javier Casas Jr., midfielder Elliot Collier, midfielder Luka StojanoviÄ, midfielder Fabian Herbers, and forward Chinonso Offor.
- Midfielder Stanislav Ivanov (left knee), midfielder Ignacio Aliseda (left thigh), defender Carlos Teran (left thigh), defender Nick Slonina (health and safety protocols) and goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm (right knee) are out for tonight's match.
Get a look at both team's starting lineups as they're available in the graphics below:
