Melbourne Victory ACL: Matthieu Delpierre selected, star attackers Fahid Ben Khalfallah and Gui Finkler overlooked

MATTHIEU Delpierre’s shock Asian Champions League ­inclusion proves how seriously Melbourne Victory is taking the competition.

Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory

MATTHIEU Delpierre’s shock Asian Champions League ­inclusion proves how seriously Melbourne Victory is taking the competition.

It could, in fact, compromise its A-League season ­because the French centre back — in my view Victory’s most ­important player — will have to be rested for some league games to play in Asia.

The shock value is two-pronged. Delpierre last week told the Herald Sun he was unlikely to play in the Champions League because he’d struggle to cope physically, and the A-League has generally taken precedence for local clubs, with the obvious exception of Western Sydney.

It’s understandable that Delpierre, who turns 35 in April, wants to preserve his frame in his last season at ­Victory, but that means coach Kevin Muscat’s courageous decision should be lauded.

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Striker Besart Berisha and Kosta Barbarouses join Delpierre in the squad, while Gui Finkler and Fahid Ben Khalfallah are left licking their wounds.

Finkler, 30, has scored four goals and created three in 17 games this season while Ben Khalfallah, 34, has scored four and had four assists in 18 games, underlining the difficulty Muscat faced.

Ben Khalfallah’s omission was less surprising because his form has dipped, he is often substituted and Archie Thompson and Connor Pain can play his wide left position.

It could be argued there is no ­obvious replacement for right winger Barbarouses, but there is certainly only one ­Finkler in Victory’s system.

If Pain plays on the left, Thompson can fill the No.10 (attacking midfield) role, as can Oliver Bozanic and Jesse Makarounas.

Finkler is Victory’s best set- piece taker, as evidenced on Saturday night, and possesses a deadly final pass.

Melbourne Victory's Matthieu Delpierre will head to the Asians Champions League. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Muscat is not one for emotion, but surely he must have factored in Finkler’s omission in 2014, after the Brazilian had worked so hard to recover from a knee ­reconstruction.

Finkler, who has gone on a strict diet this season and views himself in career-best shape, was said to be distraught last night and now views his future elsewhere.

There is a school of thought that Finkler does not play hurt, but he dispelled that on ­Saturday by playing through his shoulder injury with pain- killers. He has started all but two games this season, playing 90 minutes in nine of his 17 ­appearances.

Muscat would have known the consequences, so he was ­clearly not looking beyond May when making the call.

Delpierre, who has been Victory’s most consistent ­player for 18 months and has become even more important since Carl Valeri went down in November, said he would struggle to play in all of the remaining 14-18 games, depending on how far Victory goes in the A-League and ACL.

But in doing his Asian homework, Muscat realised that facing Shanghai SIPG’s visa stars, Brazilian Elkeson and Ghanaian Asamoah Gyan, and Gamba Osaka’s Brazilian strike duo Ademilson and ­Patric without Delpierre was fraught with danger.

Originally published as Melbourne Victory ACL: Matthieu Delpierre selected, star attackers Fahid Ben Khalfallah and Gui Finkler overlooked