Adelaide United centre back Michael Jakobsen confident coach Marco Kurz will come up with a grand plan despite injuries

Defender Michael Jakobsen has confidence Adelaide United’s depleted squad will step up when the side battles Wellington Phoenix for a place in the top four.

Adelaide United’s Michael Jakobsen was outstanding in the Reds 1-0 win over Central Coast Mariners at Central Coast Stadium last Sunday. (AAP Image/Paul Barkley)

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Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz will again bounce his thinly stocked squad into new positions in a bid to rise above another hurdle — an already depleted defence.

Ryan Strain’s pending absence for a crunch clash against Wellington Phoenix at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday is destined to see the German use his well credentialed instincts as he tries outfoxing another intelligent and in demand coach Mark Rudan.

Danish defender Michael Jakobsen is confident Kurz’s Reds can plug more gaps after Strain injured his hamstring in the first half of a stress-relieving 1-0 win over Central Coast last Sunday.

He is the only experienced and recognised centre back after the Reds failed to replace Taylor Regan during the January transfer window when he left for Malaysian football.

Adelaide United defender Michael Jakobsen during a training session at Elizabeth. Picture: Sarah Reed

With the loss of stopper Jordan Elsey to a foot injury, Jakobsen is the true key to stabilising the defensive block alongside Michael Marrone.

Nikola Mileusnic also missed the Mariners clash through injury but Jakobsen says the winger is “looking fine” this week at training.

“Strainy, I don’t know how long we’ll be without him but yeah we have some people going out (of the team through injury) and some people coming in, it’s looking OK,’’ Jakobsen said after training at Elizabeth on Thursday.

“My approach is the same, it doesn’t matter who you play with (at centre back) it’s not hard, Mickey (Marrone) has heaps of experience and is a good player yeah it’s just … now we’ve got (Ryan) Kitto at left back in the last game that’s not usual for him and you need to guide him a bit more there.

“But he was amazing in training, he’s doing well again in that position.”

With Jakobsen confident the Reds defence won’t be too disrupted Adelaide is also bolstering its attack for the clash.

Melbourne Victory’s ex-SA NPL attacker Elvis Kamsoba’s younger brother, former Burundian refugee Pacifique Niyongabire has again been called into the squad after travelling to Gosford but missing out on the 15-man match sheet last weekend.

Mileusnic and Carlo Armiento have also been recalled to the 18-man squad with Rudan also buoyed by the return of the super sharp Fijian international Roy Krishna, 31, from suspension.

Newcastle United legend, Englishman Steven Taylor, 33, is also expected to return to the Phoenix 11, after being sidelined with a calf injury, to partner captain Andrew Durante.

Taylor’s has had an invaluable upbringing at St James’ Park, forced to mark England legend Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy at training when he was just 16 years old.

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