Talles Magno was set to make his first MLS start in nearly three years. 

That was until some “calf trouble” forced him out of New York City FC’s starting lineup on Sunday, shortly before kickoff, in what would become a 2-0 loss to D.C. United, as NYCFC’s season continued to spiral. 

Magno rejoined the club ahead of the start of the 2026 MLS season after spending 17 months on loan to Brazilian club Corinthians and has slowly been working his way back into the fold with the current group. 

Magno suffered calf trouble during warmups for Sunday’s match at Citi Field, and the club announced that Malachi Jones would start in Magno’s place roughly 20 minutes prior to the start of the game. 

NYCFC head coach Pascal Jansen did not expand on the severity of the injury to Magno or whether it would limit him at all next week when the club hosts the Columbus Crew at Yankee Stadium. 

Jansen also revealed after the match that Aiden O’Neill had to come off the pitch in the 35th minute with an ankle injury, which has apparently been an ongoing issue this season. The NYCFC coach said that O’Neill’s ankle “locked and had too much pain to continue.” 

The injuries come as the club is in the middle of a stretch where they have not won an MLS regular-season match since March 14, when they defeated the Colorado Rapids, and their only wins in April were in the U.S. Open Cup against third division side Westchester SC and Red Bull New York. 

Early on in the season, New York City FC had been near the top of the table in the Eastern Conference, but their seven-game winless streak has dropped the club down to ninth. 

NYCFC has been held scoreless in their last two league matches and have allowed late goals in three matches during the seven-game stretch to erase what should have been wins for the club. 

“It’s not a nice atmosphere in the dressing room,” Jansen said. “People are not happy in the building as well. We consider ourselves to be a winning organization.”