Louisville City FC will see forward Wilson Harris and midfielder Dylan Mares in the starting lineup for the first time this season when they take the pitch Wednesday against Lexington SC.
Harris is returning from a preseason concussion and Mares from a thumb injury leading into this Second Round Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup game, scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Both players have appeared previously this season as substitutes, but LouCity will now lean heavily on them to produce as the club looks to end a rare slump. The boys in purple have been out-scored by an 8-0 aggregate score in their last two USL Championship games.
Harris broke out last season to score a career-high 14 goals in his first year with LouCity. Mares, who signed with City in the offseason, poured in a career-high 10 goals of his own in 2022 for El Paso Locomotive FC.
Those mark two of seven changes in LouCity’s lineup from the weekend. Rookie Oliver Semmle returns at goalkeeper; the back four adds Amadou Dia and Ramzi Qawasmy; Paolo DelPiccolo is back in the midfield; and Ray Serrano takes a spot among the front three.
Coach Danny Cruz will this week balance tired legs with the need to get form back on track. LouCity is amid a run of three games in eight days, with a return to league play set for Saturday against Detroit City FC.
Team Sheet vs. Lexington SC
28 — Oliver Semmle
13 — Amadou Dia
51 — Ramzi Qawasmy
4 — Sean Totsch
15 — Manny Perez
12 — Tyler Gibson
22 — Dylan Mares
36 — Paolo DelPiccolo
77 — Enoch Mushagalusa
7 — Ray Serrano
14 — Wilson Harris
Substitutes: 1 — Kyle Morton, 19 — Oscar Jimenez, 67 — Owen Damm, 8 — Carlos Moguel Jr., 23 — Elijah Wynder, 10 — Brian Ownby, 9 — Jorge Gonzalez
