Patrick Brennan

pbrennan@enquirer.com

Trialists, injured players and suspensions.

It all seems to be happening at once for Futbol Club Cincinnati (1-2-0, three points) ahead of its Saturday home opener against St. Louis FC.

Head coach Alan Koch, who engaged with reporters post-practice Thursday at Nippert Stadium during one of the busier media sessions in the the club's short history, updated The Enquirer on all of FC Cincinnati's personnel comings and goings.

• Co-captain Austin Berry will be available for Saturday's game against STLFC, Koch said. Berry made an appearance in a friendly/scrimmage Thursday against the University of Dayton men's soccer team at Nippert.

• First-year FC Cincinnati forward Daryl Fordyce will be available for selection on a limited basis following his two-game absence through injury. Koch said he hopes to ease Fordyce back into the mix, and could do so Saturday with a late substitution.

• Defender Justin Hoyte, the recent ballyhooed acquisition and former Premier League veteran, will miss Saturday's game after making an early exit from Sunday's match against Bethlehem Steel FC. Hoyte is suffering from a strained hamstring, Koch said.

• Defender Paul Nicholson is suspended for Saturday's match after receiving a straight red card in Sunday's 2-0 loss to Steel FC. Nicholson, however, went 90 minutes in central midfield, his preferred position, in the friendly against UD. He said it was the first time in a while he'd been able to play a full 90 minutes and allowed him to make progress on the fitness front.

FC Cincinnati takeaways: Frustration setting in after slow start?

• FC Cincinnati had two trialists in the lineup for Wednesday night's 3-1 friendly win over UD. One of those trialists – former UD standout and 2016 MLS SuperDraft selection Amass Amankona – had been in camp with FC Cincinnati for at least parts of two weeks. Amankona will not be retained by the club, however, Koch said Thursday.

Amankona participated in the scrimmage, which saw him go to battle against his former collegiate side. The player, listed at 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds, had several acrobatic chances in the game and was one of the best players on the field in the second half. Supporters in The Bailey gave Amankona a warm reception during and after the friendly.