Olwethu Makhanya hasn’t returned to the Union yet, overshadowing Ryan Richter’s debut as manager

When the Union resume their season Wednesday night at Subaru Park against Red Bull New York (7:30 p.m., Apple TV), the spotlight should be on two stories: the many young American prospects who will be on the field, and interim manager Ryan Richter’s debut on the first team bench.

For now, though, those items are overshadowed by a potential upheaval of the team’s defense.

Key centerback Olwethu Makhanya hasn’t returned to the team yet after going to the World Cup with South Africa. Multiple sources have told The Inquirer that it’s a personal matter, but there seems to be more to it.

The Union have received offers for Makhanya from Scotland’s Rangers FC and Belgium’s Genk of around $4 million each, and turned them down so far. The aforementioned sources also signaled there was an agreement of some kind that the club would sell him if an offer came.

But there were different portrayals of how ironclad that agreement was, and whether the Union could hold firm on demanding a presumably higher fee.

Unsurprisingly, Makhanya isn’t happy about the situation, as the Athletic first reported Monday morning. There’s been plenty of communication between his side and the Union front office, but it isn’t clear right now when he’ll be back on the field.

What is clear is that Richter will be without one of his best defenders for his first game in charge, and possibly more than that.

» READ MORE: Kai Wagner is happy to be back with the Union — and to be one of the team’s leaders

“I worked with Olwethu when he first joined the club, and we have a good personal relationship,” he said. “But right now, his situation, he’s away from the club for personal reasons, and I think we’re going to leave it like that for now with him.”

Makhanya’s departure isn’t the only one on the table. A source who knows confirmed a report by the Courier of Dundee, Scotland, that the Union are in talks with Scottish Premiership club Dundee United to loan outside back Philippe Ndinga there for the European season that starts July 31.

If the move gets done and Ndinga doesn’t play again for the Union before it, the player who was supposed to be Kai Wagner’s successor will leave with eight games played, four starts, and 310 minutes on the field. It will be hard to see that as anything other than a punt.

When Scheer met with the media over the weekend, he tried to not portray it that way. But in the end, he couldn’t quite keep his cards hidden.

» READ MORE: Why the Union and Kai Wagner made the surprising decision to get back together

“He’s a young player, he’s got a lot of athletic tools,” Scheer said. “We need more production from the left fullback spot. But it doesn’t mean that Philippe doesn’t have talent and a skill set that he can offer ourselves, or any other club.”

The good news for Wednesday is that Wagner is expected to be ready to play his first game back with the Union.

“He’s fit, he’s ready to play, and it’s not only Kai and the fans that want him out there — it’s the coaching staff and it’s his teammates that also want him out there,” Richter said. “We [will] see exactly how he is for the 90 minutes in the match, but he’s in a really good spot, and I think he’s ready. And I don’t know if he would let me keep him out from this game.”

Quinn Sullivan might also be ready for his first game minutes since tearing an ACL last September.

» READ MORE: As the Union resume their season, Cavan Sullivan knows the spotlight on him will only grow more

“It’s not going to be that he’s just available 90 minutes from the start, but he will be available for the match,” Richter said.

The bench might also include Neil Pierre, the promising 18-year-old centerback who spent the first six months of this year on loan at Danish club Lyngby — part-owned by the Union. He’s been dealing with an injury that Richter called “something that’s minor,” but the indication was that Pierre should be available.