For the second time this season, Charlotte FC will see a starting XI without Westwood in the midfield. The Crown’s captain picked up his fifth yellow card of the 2026 campaign against FC Cincinnati and will be watching this matchup from the sidelines, opening a handful of possible midfield pairings. Likely starters include Spanish midfielder Pep Biel, who has started to find his form in the last handful of matches, contributing a goal or assist in four of his last five outings; and Frenchman Djibril Diani, who gotten into a groove himself, starting in Charlotte’s last three matches in all competitions, topping it off with a full-90 performance against Cincy where he notched his first assist of the season.

Who else could find their way in the starting midfield? North Carolina’s own Brandt Bronico has featured 10 regular season matches for The Crown this season, serving as a pressing machine who refuses to tire out. We could also see the likes of Luca de la Torre, who has made appearances with Diani in the Club’s Open Cup matches and can provide another ball handler and progressor. Newly minted to the First Team is Aron John, who could see action after recently signing a Homegrown contract. The Charlotte native has a similar engine to Bronico, and is involved in all parts of the pitch