Western Sydney Wanderers rush back quartet as coach seeks reinforcements for big kick-off
WITH the opening round of the A-League season looming, Western Sydney coach Markus Babbel is hoping the club’s final preseason hitout can ease his selection worries.
Western Sydney Wanderers
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WESTERN Sydney Wanderers will welcome back a quartet of injured players for their final pre-season hit out, in the hope of riding out a looming selection crisis for the opening round of the A-League season.
The Wanderers hope that Mark Bridge and Vedran Janjetovic will play some part in a friendly with Melbourne City in Shepparton on Friday, after both missed the whole of their club’s run to the FFA Cup semi-finals.
New signings Ruon Tongyik and Bruce Kamau will also both play in Melbourne according to the club, despite missing several weeks with soft-tissue injuries, as Wanderers coach Markus Babbel scrambles to shore up his first XI for the opening round of the A-League season away to Perth.
His stocks have been further hit by the absence of six players with the Young Socceroos, including two in Tass Mourdoukoutas and Kosta Grozos who are both pushing for an A-League starting spot.
All six on international duty will miss at least the first two rounds of the A-League season and potentially more, depending on Australia’s progress at the 2018 AFC U19 Championship in Indonesia.
With German defender Patrick Ziegler out for several weeks after a knee operation, fullback Tarek Elrich deputised at centrehalf in Saturday’s loss to Sydney FC in the FFA Cup semi-final.
Rightback Josh Risdon will miss the friendly with City on Friday, away on international duty with the Socceroos, but will return in time to face Perth.
Bridge and Janjetovic have been battling calf and groin issues for months, with Babbel bemoaning the loss of two of his most experienced campaigners ahead of the new season.
Friday’s opponents City have their own injury concerns, with Scottish forward Michael O’Halloran suffering a hamstring injury that will rule him out for up to three months.
Meanwhile Mariners boss Mike Mulvey has dropped a strong hint that Usain Bolt will start in the Central Coast’s own last pre-season game, travelling to Campbelltown to take on a South West Sydney XI.
Mulvey said that Bolt’s fitness had improved, while a tailored training program working independently with the club’s coaches was also bearing fruit.
Though Mulvey has cautioned against passing judgment on Bolt as a footballer until January, he said the game in Campbelltown would be a good staging post.
“He came on for 15 or 20 minutes in his first game, and he’ll play longer on Friday,” Mulvey said. “His level of fitness has increased, now he needs to get football fitness which is very difficult, but we’re quietly pleased with how he has improved.
“We drew up a road map for him, nothing too complex but including some one-on-one sessions. On Friday we’ll see where he’s at. From a fitness perspective you could probably start him, and there’s a good chance we will.”
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