Baba Diawara missed the clash after picking up a knock in last week’s 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory in a friendly at Hindmarsh.
ADELAIDE United’s injured striker Baba Diawara running slow laps around the club’s Elizabeth headquarters on Saturday is a sign the Senegalese is struggling for full fitness after he was a shock omission on Friday.
ADELAIDE United’s injured striker Baba Diawara running slow laps at the club’s Elizabeth headquarter’s pitch on Saturday is a sign the Senegalese is struggling for full fitness after he was a shock omission on Friday.
The 30-year-old has been put on a special training program Kurz revealed before the club’s marquee striker pulled out of the 18-man squad which drew with reigning premier Sydney FC 1-1 at Hindmarsh.
Baba missed the clash after picking up a knock in last week’s 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory in a friendly at Hindmarsh.
He was withdrawn from the Reds’ match-day squad about three hours before kick-off.
Kurz said he wasn’t getting frustrated with the Senegalese marksman who missed a lot of last season through injury, scoring two goals in just nine starts.
“We believed that he can play but you know Baba, he is a player with a lot of injuries and we must be careful with him,’’ Kurz said.
“He wasn’t ready but maybe he will be ready for the weekend (against Newcastle Jets) or for the FFA Cup final (on October 30 against Sydney FC).
“I don’t know but when a player is not 100 per cent he cannot start.
“Baba is a player from Adelaide United before I was here and now it’s my job to get him fit.
“We are on a good way but Baba is a player that you must find a different training for him, he cannot train every training.”
With Kurz hopeful Baba recovers sooner rather than later the German said United needed to add a second goal to Scott Galloway’s brilliant opener to see off Sydney.
Instead the Reds copped an equaliser from gun striker Adam Le Fondre when a lapse in concentration was all it took for the Englishman to help Sydney steal two points.
“We played a very good first half, we had good pressure on the ball and Sydney didn’t create great chances and we scored the first goal,’’ Kurz said.
“If you will beat Sydney you must score two goals and we missed maybe the last pass, the last consequence, we had a good chance with Goody (Craig Goodwin), the first touch was not good enough.
“Ben Halloran had a big chance and it was not too bad and you saw the quality of Sydney.
“In the end too many long balls, no pressure and we decided to play the long ball, we should have played more possession and let them run.
“But it’s good for me then I can start to train for these things.”