Charlotte FC players who are in danger of being left unprotected in the 2024 expansion draft

By Brian Maurer

Karol Swiderski (left) and Liel Abada (right) celebrating during the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs (Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/TopBin90)

Next Wednesday is the 2024 expansion draft. This is when the new expansion team, San Diego FC, will get the opportunity to select five players from the other 29 MLS clubs. Each club will get to select 12 players from their current roster that they can protect. Generation Adidas players who are on the supplemental roster are automatically protected, as are all homegrown players who are under 25.

In 2022, Charlotte FC selected five players in their expansion draft McKinze Gaines, Anton Walkes, Joseph Mora, Tristan Blackmon (traded), and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (traded).

In 2023, St. Louis City selected Nicholas Gioacchini, Indiana Vassilev, Jonathan Bell, John Nelson, and Jake LaCava.

This season, Charlotte FC’s Hamady Diop, Brandon Cambridge, Nimfasha Berchimas, Brian Romero, and Jack Neeley will be automatically protected. Ben Bender who was a Generation Adidas player in the past will no longer be automatically protected as he is now on the senior roster instead of the supplemental roster.

Here are our predictions for the Crown’s protected 12 players:

1. Kristijan Kahlina

2. Jere Uronen

3. Tim Ream

4. Andrew Privett

5. Adilson Malanda

6. Nathan Byrne

7. Ashley Westwood

8. Kerwin Vargas

9. Liel Abada

10. Karol Swiderski

11. Idan Toklomati

12. Patrick Agyemang

Summary

Charlotte will likely have to use half of their protections to keep their backline intact. Ashley Westwood as the club captain also has to be protected. Their high-value players like Karol Swiderski, Liel Abada, Kerwin Vargas, and Idan Toklomati will likely be protected to help secure their investment.

This leaves a difficult quandary for their last spot. Does Charlotte protect their large transfer fee investment in Nikola Petkovic? Or do they leave him out there to protect their more proven prospect Patrick Agyemang? Or do they leave both prospects unprotected to shore up their midfield by protecting Djibril Diani or Brandt Bronico?

Jere Uronen is another player who could be left unprotected as he wound up on the bench down the stretch. If Charlotte sees themselves keeping Adilson Malanda for 2025, then Uronen could be left unprotected so the club could secure other areas of their roster lacking depth.