Union’s José Andrés Martínez injured in preseason scrimmage vs. Chicago Fire

Martínez suffered what looked like a major left leg or foot injury midway through the first half.

José Andrés Martínez on the sideline during Saturday's preseason scrimmage against the Chicago Fire in Clearwater, Fla.Read moreKim Ahrens / Philadelphia Union

Updated Mar. 20, 2021, 11:29 p.m. ET

Published Mar. 20, 2021, 10:36 p.m. ET

The Union played the Chicago Fire in a preseason scrimmage Saturday in Clearwater, Fla., that was less notable for the game action than for key midfielder José Andrés Martínez suffering what looked liked a major left leg injury.

Martínez pulled up breaking away with the ball in the 23rd minute and stayed down for quite a while. He slammed the grass in frustration, pointed toward his foot, and was unable to leave the field under his own power. He was carried off with assistance from Union manager Jim Curtin and a trainer. Academy product Cole Turner came in as a substitute.

There was no update Sunday night on Martínez’s status.

The teams played a regular 90 minutes plus stoppage time, then an extra 25 after the official whistle so all players could get an hour of game time. Jack de Vries started at forward with the rest of the team’s regulars while Sergio Santos and Cory Burke deal with minor injuries.

A mass substitution at the 60-minute mark saw all five of this year’s new academy products take the field: Brandan Craig and Nathan Harriel on the back line; Quinn Sullivan and Jack McGlynn in midfield; and Paxten Aaronson on the front line. Aaronson played alongside Ilsinho in a “forward” pairing without any true forwards, but the important work was done in the first hour.

The most notable move in the mass substitution might have been sending Matej Oravec in at defensive midfield. He has yet to play a minute in an official game for the Union after joining the team last year. If Martínez is out for an extended period of time, the Union will need Oravec to step up.

Chicago’s Javier Casas, a 17-year-old rookie, scored in the extra session on Union third-string goalkeeper Joe Bendik. So the teams counted it as a 1-0 Chicago win.