Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz won’t risk Johan Absalonsen re-injuring his thigh against Sydney FC in the FFA Cup final

ADELAIDE United coach Marco Kurz has rewarded Johan Absalonsen with a trip to Sydney but revealed the great Dane isn’t ready to front the FFA Cup final on Tuesday.

Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz and captain Isaias Sanchez pose with the FFA Cup trophy at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Monday. Picture: AAP Image/Daniel Munoz

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ADELAIDE United coach Marco Kurz has rewarded Johan Absalonsen with a trip to Sydney but revealed the great Dane isn’t ready to front Tuesday night’s FFA Cup final.

Kurz said Absalonsen could risk re-injuring his thigh if he was rushed back to face Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium.

Absalonsen, 32, has been out of action since October 24 when he scored in Adelaide’s 2-1 Cup semi-final win over Western Sydney away before succumbing to the injury four minutes after Daniel Adlung scored a cracking goal to give United a 2-0 lead in the 58th minute.

“Everybody is OK but Johan has no chance,’’ Kurz said in Sydney on Monday.

“He did have a minimal chance but it’s too risky.

Johan Absalonsen won’t be rushed into side for the Cup final as he recovers from a thigh injury. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Daniel Adlung has been in hot form for Adelaide United. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

Kurz declared all of United’s players — including seniors and youth players not selected for the one-off final — will convene in Sydney on Tueday.

“The whole squad (apart from the ones named in the FFA Cup squad) will join us in Sydney on Tuesday to watch the game,’’ he said.

“It’s my wish to have all players travel to Sydney, it’s a special moment.

“It’s also a thankyou to all the players for getting us into the Cup final.”

But Kurz, 47, revealed Adelaide didn’t stay in NSW following its 2-1 win over Central Coast on Thursday because of a number of factors.

He said United had asked Football Federation Australia for guidance in a bid to remain in Sydney after the 80km trek from Gosford.

“We asked for a good pitch to train on but none were available and we asked for help from the federation,’’ Kurz said.

“We didn’t find a suitable training venue and maybe for us it’s not a problem.

“The boys had three nights with their families (after the Mariners match) and maybe it’s better.”

The clash will be Kurz’s first knockout final in charge as a manager during a fabulous career where he won silverware in 2010 when he led Kaiserslautern to the Bundesliga after winning the second tier title in Germany.

Adelaide United head coach Marco Kurz with the FFA Cup at Allianz Stadium on Monday. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

During his playing career Kurz has won the German Super Cup twice, the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) and the Bundesliga title.

He has inherited three FFA Cup winners — Michael Marrone, Isaias and Tarek Elrich and players that have won knockout Cup finals in fierce competitions.

Centre-back Ersan Gulum has claimed the Turkish Cup final with Besiktas, Daniel Adlung has won the European under-21 championship for Germany and Absalonsen the Danish Cup final.

“The only message I will give to the players is that we have done a great job in the Cup rounds before we won against big teams,’’ Kurz said.

“It’s a great thing for each player and the club, it’s a big moment for us.”

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Originally published as Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz won’t risk Johan Absalonsen re-injuring his thigh against Sydney FC in the FFA Cup final