New York City FC winger Jonathan Lewis might be struggling for minutes, but a string of injuries has opened the door for the highly touted rookie.

And even if he won’t admit it, Lewis is relishing the opportunity.

“I hope so,” Lewis said, laughing, before NYCFC (3-2-1, 10 points) take on Orlando City (4-1-0, 12 points) on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. “I’ll be ready. Whatever [coach Patrick Vieira] wants to give me, I’ll be ready.”

Lewis, 19, didn’t start playing soccer until the fourth grade. He played basketball and football before his family moved to Jamaica. Upon their return to the US the following year, Lewis dropped the other sports to focus on soccer. He had a brief trial at Bradford City in England before he returned home to star in his only season at the University of Akron, notching two goals and 12 assists while being named the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year.

It isn’t a surprise he comes to New York with much fanfare, especially after NYCFC traded $250,000 in general allocation money to Chicago to grab him with the No. 3 pick in the MLS draft.

Still, finding the field has been difficult for Lewis because his commitment to the United States under-20 team caused him to miss most of the preseason. It also doesn’t help that NYCFC has a much improved — and crowded — attack.

As a member of the US under-20 team in CONCACAF play, Lewis has a shot at making the US roster for the Under-20 World Cup this May in South Korea — and proving himself on the field with NYCFC only can help that effort.

Lewis has made one brief appearance this season, logging 11 minutes in a 1-1 draw against Montreal on March 18, not nearly enough of a sample for Lewis to show what he is capable of. Though Lewis showed some rust and sloppiness in the attacking third during the brief cameo, the 19-year-old admitted he must adjust to the speed of play and think quicker on the ball.

So what is his plan for doing that? He will pay close attention to veteran teammates like Costa Rica’s Rodney Wallace.

“[Wallace] gives me a lot of insight on certain things,” Lewis said. “His worth ethic is top class. … He teaches me how to play off the ball better than just getting on the ball and trying to make something happen.”

Lewis’ chance for some action could come Sunday after NYCFC lost two key players — left back Ronald Matarrita and winger Khiry Shelton — to injuries, forcing Vieira to fiddle with his lineup against Orlando City, which has found its footing with ex-NYCFC coach Jason Kreis. NYCFC lost the season opener, 1-0, at Orlando City this season.

Losing Matarrita complicates NYCFC’s game plan. The Costa Rican’s high ankle sprain will sideline him for a month and likely force Vieira to use the 3-4-3 formation to keep Wallace up top. If Vieira decides to stick with the traditional 4-3-3 formation, Wallace will be expected to move back in place of Matarrita. Tommy McNamara should find himself in the starting 11 for the first time on the left wing. That leaves Shelton’s substitute role vacant with Lewis as a viable option.

Whether injuries carve his way to the field, Lewis said he learns something every day from everybody, even from the goalkeepers. But even he can’t shake the feeling of being star-struck playing next to international legends such as David Villa and Andrea Pirlo.

“Even today, it’s still unreal,” Lewis said. “Coming into training any time they talk to me, I just open my ears and listen because obviously what they say is probably right.”

Keep your ears open, kid.

Don’t be alarmed when NYCFC isn’t wearing their signature sky blue uniforms at home Sunday.

To celebrate Earth Day, NYCFC and Orlando City will don jerseys made of plastics discarded into the ocean in an effort to raise awareness of the harmful impact of marine plastic pollution.

NYCFC will wear a shimmery, scale-like grey jersey with oceanic light blue that highlights the team crest and sponsor.

The effort is in partnership with MLS, Adidas and Parley for the Oceans. Though the jerseys are not for sale, some of the player’s game-worn kits will be auctioned off with proceeds going to City in the Community.