Austin vs San Jose Earthquakes: Quakes travel amid injury crisis
Austin FC welcome San Jose Earthquakes for an MLS Western Conference matchup on Saturday evening, part of Matchday 23 of the 2026 regular season. Both sides are desperate for a turnaround: Austin are winless in four, while the Earthquakes arrive amid a four-match losing streak and a mounting injury crisis that leaves them shorthanded for the trip.
Team News and Injury Latest
Austin FC head coach Davy Arnaud has a full squad to choose from, with no players listed on the official MLS player status report for this fixture. A clean bill of health gives the Verde and Black a rare opportunity to field their strongest XI during a grueling stretch of the campaign.
San Jose Earthquakes, in contrast, are reeling from a spate of lower-body injuries. Five first-team players have been ruled out: Nonso Adimabua, Earl Edwards Jr., Darius Johnson, Dejuan Jones, and Timo Werner. The absence of Jones strips Bruce Arena’s backline of a starting defender, while the loss of Werner removes a key attacking outlet. No projected lineup had been confirmed at the time of writing, but the Quakes will need to piece together a makeshift defense and reshuffle their forward options.
Form Guide
Austin sit 14th in the Western Conference with a 5-6-10 record, having collected only 21 points from 21 matches. Their last five outings read D-W-L-L-L, the most recent a 3-1 defeat at Portland Timbers that underlined persistent defensive issues – they have shipped 40 goals this season, the worst mark in the West.
San Jose’s slide is even more startling. Once nestled high in the standings, the Earthquakes are now 4th but tumbling, with a form line of L-L-L-L-D. They have not won since early August and have conceded multiple goals in each of those four losses. The 39 goals they’ve scored this season show their attacking threat, but the sudden lack of defensive solidity has punctured their early-season momentum.