Union’s Milan Iloski is out two games with an injury, and Cavan Sullivan is questionable vs. Nashville

The Union will be even more short-handed than expected when they visit Major League Soccer’s best team, Nashville SC, on Wednesday (8:30 p.m., Apple TV).

Leading scorer Milan Iloski (20 goals in all competitions) is out for that game and Saturday’s trip to FC Cincinnati (2 p.m., Apple TV), after suffering a hamstring tweak in this past Saturday’s 2-0 loss to New England. With fellow striker Bruno Damiani suspended due to yellow card accumulation, that means the Union’s entire starting front line will be unavailable.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s something that’s a long-term thing, but he has a minor hamstring strain that he picked up at the end of the game,” interim manager Ryan Richter said in his news conference Monday. “He’ll be out for sure for Nashville and he’ll be out for Cincy. And then we have to see how he progresses in the next few days to give the timeline of when he actually will be fully fit.”

Richter acknowledged that he’ll turn to backups Ezekiel Alladoh and Agustín Anello. It will be a huge moment for both players, especially Alladoh: The most expensive signing in Union history hasn’t played in the last two games, and has played more than 20 minutes just once since the World Cup.

That is chiefly because he has scored just two goals this year, one in a Concacaf Champions Cup blowout in March and one in a league game in August. In the last few weeks, marquee academy product Malik Jakupović earned his way past Alladoh on the depth chart.

“It’s going to be an opportunity for our strikers to step up in a huge game,” Richter said. “Ezekiel [is] one of them, Malik, Augie — the three of them have been patient and pushing for this opportunity and now it presents itself. And it’s a great opportunity for them, and a great opportunity for the team, with the three of them pushing to lead the line and give us a great performance against Nashville.”

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Anello hasn’t played much either since the World Cup, with just seven appearances. All were as a substitute. At least he could say a groin injury was part of the reason.

Things started to turn for the better on Saturday. Anello came off the bench and nearly scored a dramatic last-minute equalizer, but his fierce shot drew a big-time save from former U.S. national team starting goalkeeper Matt Turner.

“I appreciate Augie hasn’t played so much in recent weeks, and he came in and brought good energy, and I appreciate that,” Richter said after the game.

As for Cavan Sullivan’s ankle injury, Richter said he’s questionable.

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“Still progressing from the ankle,” he said, “We’ll see where he’s at, how he gets through the rest of today with some recovery, and then where he’s at tomorrow. But right now he’s questionable for Wednesday.”

Nashville clinched the Supporters’ Shield for the league’s best record on Saturday with three games to spare. Striker Sam Surridge has 20 goals in all competitions this year, including 18 in league play — tied for fourth in the scoring chart. Playmaker Hany Mukhtar, the 2022 MLS MVP and a perennial contender, has 18 goals and eight assists. Winger Cristian Espinoza, one of the signings of the year by any club, has seven goals and 14 assists.

Though the team’s 66 goals scored through 31 games are second-best in the league, their goals allowed are even more impressive: just 23. With three games to go, Nashville has a shot at the record the Union set in 2022 of 26 goals allowed in a 34-game season.

That’s why centerbacks Jeison Palacios and Maxwell Woledzi are leading contenders for the league’s team of the season, and why goalkeeper Brian Schwake earned his U.S. national team debut in the last FIFA window.

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Manager B.J. Callaghan, a Ventnor City, N.J., native, is also a top candidate for coach of the year. The product of Ursinus and the coaching staffs of Villanova, the Union, and the U.S. national team has many fans in his old hometown, but they will put that on the back burner for a night.

“It’s not a secret: You don’t give up that few goals in a season with just a great backline, or with an outstanding goalkeeper performance,” Richter said. “When everyone is committed to their work against the ball, that’s when you get results like that.

“B.J.’s done a great job to get some great attacking players and high-profile players to buy into the work that the team needs, and because of that they’ve had this successful defensive record.”