Josef Martínez Returns To Atlanta United Training  | Atlanta United FC

Cue the Lord of the Rings memes for The King has returned.

Josef Martínez educated with the workforce on the Kids’s Healthcare of Atlanta Coaching Floor on Tuesday. It was the striker’s first workforce exercise in a number of weeks. Martínez has been absent from the workforce since April 8 when the membership introduced the striker underwent arthroscopic surgical procedure to scrub out particles in his proper knee.

The workforce greeted Martínez with a welcome tunnel at first of coaching. In the course of the session, Martínez joined the group in conditioning drills. Then, he participated in rondos and passing drills earlier than breaking off for some particular person health. He returns on Might 17, somewhat over six weeks from the final match he performed on April 2 towards D.C. United.

“Josef is a very necessary participant for this workforce, clearly on the sector and likewise off the sector for the group,” defender Alan Franco mentioned. “He’s an necessary participant for us to have, so we’re very comfortable to have him again at coaching.”

Anticipation for the striker’s return started to develop final week when he was seen performing some particular person work on the Coaching Floor. Then after the 2-2 draw with New England Revolution, head coach Gonzalo Pineda mentioned that the membership might have Martínez again “sooner quite than later.”

Previous to exiting the match towards D.C. United within the 62nd minute, Martínez led the workforce in objectives and was tied for workforce chief in assists. He was the primary Atlanta United participant this season to obtain MLS Group of the Week honors for his Week 1 efficiency. Within the dwelling opener towards Sporting Kansas Metropolis, he assisted two of Atlanta United’s three objectives and performed 75 minutes within the workforce’s 3-1 victory.

Martínez has had a prolific profession with Atlanta United. The 28-year-old from Venezuela is the membership’s all-time main scorer. In 2018, he scored 31 objectives to win the league’s Golden Boot award. That very same 12 months, he turned the first-ever to win common season, MLS Cup and MLS All-Star MVP all in the identical season.

On March 2, 2020, Martínez tore his ACL and missed a lot of the 2020 season. Regardless of going through some setbacks throughout his rehabilitation, Martínez made a full restoration and appeared in his first match for the reason that damage on April 17, 2021 towards Orlando Metropolis.

Martínez went on to have a powerful 2021 marketing campaign. In the course of the season, he turned the quickest participant to achieve 100 objectives in MLS historical past. He additionally performed an necessary function in Atlanta’s run to the MLS Cup Playoffs. He scored the profitable purpose towards FC Cincinnati that secured the membership’s come-from-behind victory and Atlanta’s place within the Jap Convention standings.

“Josef is a good participant,” striker Ronaldo Cisneros mentioned. “He was named one of the best participant within the league. I’d dare to say that he’s one of the best participant within the historical past of the membership… he’s such an necessary participant at this membership, and hopefully I’ll get to play with him quickly.”

Though the 2 have confronted one another on the sector – each performed within the scrimmage between Atlanta United and Chivas within the 2022 preseason – Cisneros has but to play on the identical facet as Martínez since becoming a member of the membership on mortgage from Chivas Guadalajara on March 21. Cisneros’s first recreation motion with Atlanta United was on April 10 towards Charlotte FC.

Nonetheless, Cisneros and Martínez are linked in a number of methods. They’re two of solely three gamers to attain a hat trick for Atlanta United. Cisneros’s first-half hat trick towards Chicago Fireplace FC on Might 7 earned him MLS Participant of the Week honors. The final Atlanta United participant to win the award was Martínez in 2019.

In order the 17s eagerly await Martínez’s return, so does Cisneros as he seems ahead to that chance to line up alongside the most effective scorers in MLS historical past.

“I wish to be taught from him,” Cisneros mentioned. “He’s a participant that has scored so many objectives and is somebody who I used to be watching even earlier than I got here to Atlanta, so to have the chance to work with him and be round him, I believe I’ll be capable of be taught so much.”