Giorgos Giakoumakis will not make his Atlanta United debut in their MLS opener with San Jose on Saturday - with red tape holding up his Visa.
The target man joined Atlanta from Celtic earlier in February after a saga that took various twists and turns. He went as far as undergoing a medical with Urawa Red Diamonds in Japan, before Atlanta came up with the cash late on that saw him finally announced as an Atlanta player eight days after the European transfer window had closed.
He's since raised eyebrows with some comments about the standard of Scottish football after netting 26 goals and 57 games in his 18 months under Ange Postecoglou. That came off the back of a stunning season with VVV-Venlo, and expectations for him are high at Atlanta as he becomes their latest Designated Player.
But it seems he will have to wait for his debut as the club have been left frustrated after a delay in processing his Visa meant he won't be able to start his new career in the American top flight this weekend. They face San Jose Earthquakes in their opening game on Saturday evening (12.30am on Sunday UK time), but it seems he won't be involved.
Atlanta United head coach Gonzalo Pineda said: "Unfortunately, Giorgos Giakoumakis will be unavailable for the match." It's a huge blow for Giakoumakis, who was desperate to impress with his new team and has come as a surprise for his club, with CEO Garth Lagerwey predicting earlier this week he would be able to play.
He said: "We are really excited about the signing, but we are still waiting on his work permit. We are very hopeful we will be ok to be eligible for opening day." The 28-year-old will now hope the paperwork comes through on time for next week when his new club play Toronto FC.
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