Team captain Kaká will not be on the field Saturday night when Orlando City faces expansion side Minnesota United FC, which is led by former Lions coach Adrian Heath.

Kaká did not feel 100 percent after taking a hard hit in last week’s 3-0 loss to New York City FC, according to a league source. Evaluations did not show any new injuries to the Brazilian midfielder, but Orlando City coach Jason Kreis decided to rest him this week as a precaution.

Kaká, 35, missed the first five games of the season with a hamstring injury, and the club has been cautious in terms of playing time since his April 29 return.

Plus, Minnesota plays on artificial turf, a surface maligned by players and coaches alike.

Earlier this week, the L.A. Galaxy beat Minnesota 2-1 but later criticized the field.

Galaxy defender Jelle Van Damme said after the match, “Honestly, with all respect, this is the worst field I ever played on in this league. It can only cause you injuries.”

Van Damme had knee pain after that game and midfielders Baggio Husidic and Joao Pedro each suffered injuries. Husidic broke his leg and is out for weeks.

“I don’t think the turf helped him and I think that stuff needs to be looked at closer,” Galaxy coach Curt Onalfo said in the postgame press conference. “The surface doesn't make for a great soccer game and we picked up a pretty nasty injury so we are pretty upset about it.”

Kaká has played at least some minutes in every match since making his 2017 debut for 30 minutes against Colorado. He’s made seven total appearances this year, including four starts, for 315 minutes, three goals and an assist.

The Lions are hoping to break out of a five-game winless slump in Minnesota, and will look to other players to step up in the captain’s absence as they did early in the season.

Both Giles Barnes and Matías Pérez García have stepped into Kaká’s No. 10 shoes this year. They are healthy and available for selection in Minnesota.

Orlando City has another long week ahead with a home game Wednesday against D.C. United followed by a Sunday contest against the Chicago Fire. Kreis used heavy lineup rotation the last couple of weeks when the team faced similar match sequences.

ardelgallo@orlandosentinel.com