Insigne's status unknown as TFC head to Atlanta

Toronto FC and Atlanta United have had difficult weeks ahead of their MLS clash Saturday, with off-field concerns overshadowing their push for the playoffs.

Italian star Lorenzo Insigne missed TFC practice Thursday dealing with "a personal family situation." The club did not elaborate but the matter was serious enough that fellow Italian Domenico Criscito skipped training "to support Lorenzo and his family."

Toronto was scheduled to travel Friday to Atlanta with Insigne's status up in the air.

Insigne, who is married with two children, had a scare in early August as Toronto was preparing to return home from a 4-3 win in Nashville. News of a "family health situation" after the team boarded its charter prompted TFC to delay the flight so the Italian could get more information. The former Napoli captain subsequently pulled out of the MLS all-star skills competition in Minneapolis but returned to training later that week.

Atlanta, meanwhile, handed star striker Josef Martinez a one-game ban this week that will keep him out of the Toronto game for a reported altercation with coach Gonzalo Pineda in the locker-room after last weekend's 2-1 loss in Portland.

"He's welcome back Monday (Sept. 12)," the Mexican coach told reporters Thursday in the wake of the suspension news. "It's understanding that he's valuable to us all here. He's a great player and I want him back. It's a question of what's more important — the (team) culture or scoring goals. And for me., it's the culture. I pick culture — over everything."

Martinez, a former MLS MVP, leads Atlanta with eight goals this season and is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 110 in all competitions. The 29-year-old Venezuelan has come off the bench in five of the last