SAN JOSE — The Earthquakes hope midfielder Cordell Cato is available Saturday in their Major League Soccer game against the Philadelphia Union at Avaya Stadium.

Cato (Trinidad and Tobago), Anibal Godoy (Panama), Sanna Nyassi (Gambia) and Marc Pelosi (U.S. U-23) have international assignments this weekend.

But Trinidad and Tobago is playing Friday night in Sandy, Utah, against Mexico, meaning Cato is a 90-minute flight away.

Coach Dominic Kinnear said Tuesday that Cato will join the Quakes for the Philadelphia match if he is OK after Trinidad’s game. If not, Tommy Thompson probably will start on the right side of the midfield against the Union.

The Earthquakes also are dealing with a central midfield without Godoy, Pelosi and Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi, who is out with a foot injury. Rookie Fatai Alashe still is recovering from a strained hamstring muscle, and practiced on the side Tuesday.

Kinnear said Argentinian playmaker Matias Perez-Garcia has returned to practice full time after missing the past three games because of a hamstring muscle strain.

But that still leaves on vacant spot if Alashe can’t play. Former Stanford star JJ Koval practiced in the defensive midfield position Tuesday after getting 90 minutes while on loan with Sacramento Republic FC last weekend.

“It’s good to get minutes,” he said. “Training is different than games.”

Kinnear also has midfielder Khari Stephenson, who asked to return to San Jose after being loaned to the San Antonio Scorpions last month. Stephenson was expected to stay with San Antonio through October.

Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/elliottalmond.