(Photo credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images)

Striker Tai Baribo's return to Philadelphia may be delayed beyond D.C. United's scheduled visit to the Union on Saturday night.

The Israeli international led Philadelphia with 16 MLS goals in 2025. After joining D.C. (2-4-1, 7 points) from Philadelphia (1-6-0, 3 points) in a $4 million cash trade during the offseason, Baribo owns three of the four league goals scored by D.C. this season.

That includes the only tally in D.C.'s 1-0 home win against the Union to open the season.

But a thigh injury has kept Baribo out of the Black-and-Red's last two matches -- a 1-0 league loss last weekend at the New England Revolution and a defeat on penalties to One Knoxville following a 3-3 draw in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 on Wednesday night.

D.C. manager Rene Weiler said Baribo is questionable for Saturday.

'He trained for himself, so we have to check it tomorrow,' Weiler said Thursday. 'I hope he will be with the team. And it would push the team, of course. I'm not sure if he (will be) ready for the game on Saturday, but we will check it out (Friday).'

With Baribo and a few other regulars who departed in the offseason, Philadelphia earned the 2025 Supporters' Shield awarded to the best regular-season finisher.

Without him, the Union have endured a miserable start to 2026. They finally earned their first league win last Saturday with a 2-1 decision over a Montreal side that also only has one MLS victory on the year.

Philadelphia awaits its first multi-goal scorer of the season after Japhet Sery Larsen and Jesus Bueno each contributed their first goals to lead its second-half rally in Canada.

Meanwhile, manager Bradley Carnell admitted the uncertainty over arguably D.C.'s most important player have made preparations a bit more difficult.

'We always want to face the best opponents, and a D.C. United with Tai Baribo is certainly a force to be reckoned with,' Carnell said Thursday. 'We are preparing and planning accordingly, but we cannot control what we cannot control. Whether he's in the building, traveling or not, that's a narrative we cannot drive and control, so we're only focused on us and the team that we think will play.'

--Field Level Media