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“For example, Sinisa (Ubiparipovich) can play weekend to weekend but maybe he would struggle to play a midweek game as well. So we already know he will not start against Atlanta.”

There could be four or five changes in the lineup for Wednesday’s match and Dos Santos doesn’t want to alter the chemistry of a team that has three wins and two ties in its last six games.

Of course there are intangibles like red cards that make players ineligible, injuries or fatigue.

The training schedule also needs to be adapted. Those who play Sunday will most likely concentrate on ice baths and stretching on Monday, light training on Tuesday while those who did not play or were short time substitutes will need to train in full on both days to be match fit as options for Wednesday against Atlanta.

Not that making this jigsaw puzzle fit makes Dos Santos any less confident as his team goes into a week vital to its chances of squeezing into the NASL playoffs. Right now, Carolina holds down the fourth and final spot and Fury FC sits eight points behind with a game in hand.

The coach would be satisfied with five of nine from the next three games. That would keep the Fury in the hunt. “Ideally I would like six out of nine and perfect would be seven with wins in the home games and a tie in Texas,” he said.

First Minnesota, who are the class of the league. Fury fans should be watching out for Christian Ramirez with 15 goals in 20 games and his partner Miguel Ibarra. And how about the Brazilian duo of Daniel Mendes, who came to Minnesota from the Swedish Premier League, and veteran Juliano Vicentini, who began his career with Palmeiras, the club Dos Santos coached before coming home to Canada.

This one is as tough a task as the Fury have faced all season, but they cling to the knowledge of two close games already. Minnesota stole a 2-1 win on a goal way into extra time at Carleton University in the spring and could only edge out another 2-1 win at home at the beginning of August.