Melbourne Victory set to unleash 16-year-old future star Sebastian Pasquali on Juventus

MELBOURNE Victory teen sensation Sebastian Pasquali is just 16, but could be handed a dream debut against Italian giant Juventus on Saturday night.

Melbourne Victory young buck Sebastian Pasquali could debut against Juventus.. Picture: George Salpigtidis

MELBOURNE Victory teen sensation Sebastian Pasquali could be handed a dream debut against Juventus on Saturday night.

Pasquali, 16, has impressed training with Victory’s first-team squad this pre-season and will feature against at least one European giant in Juventus or Atletico Madrid in the coming week.

The midfielder will start on the bench in Saturday’s International Champions Cup opener at the MCG, and depending on how the game unfolds coach Kevin Muscat could throw him into the fold in the second half.

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But with Victory playing an FFA Cup game just three days after the Geelong Tour Match against Atletico at Simonds Stadium on Sunday week, Pasquali is likely to start against the Spaniards.

While Victory still has several spots and two visa positions to fill, all contracted players are available for the Juventus clash with Muscat set to start close to his strongest XI.

Muscat praised the impact of Victory’s youth team players who’ve joined the seniors and declared they would get minutes.

“We’ve had a number of younger boys from NPL training with us recent weeks and they’ve brought a certain energy to the team,’’ Muscat said.

“They’re very young but the progress of our youth program been tremendous in the last 12 months.

“It will be an enormous challenge (against Juventus), but all our players have come back in reasonable condition in anticipation of this game.’’

Melbourne Victory young buck Sebastian Pasquali could debut against Juventus.. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Spaniard Alan Baro has looked composed and with fellow new arrival James Donachie competing with Nick Ansell for the second stopper’s position.

Oliver Bozanic could fill the attacking role as Victory continues scouring the globe for a Gui Finkler replacement, while former Central Coast speedster Mitch Austin will also make a his debut on the wing with Fahid Ben Khalfallah possibly starting on the right.

Pasquali is likely to be signed on a senior-youth contract this season.

He’s has played as an attacking midfielder for Victory in the NPL this season, but is likely to feature as a number six or eight (deeper-lying midfielder) once he settles into senior football.

The talented teen has done the entire pre-season with the first team, with the Year 11 Maribyrnong High student juggling his career and studies.

Fellow NPL players Josh Hope and Callum Goulding have also trained with Victory but are away with the Young Socceroos.

Several more youth team players joined the first-team squad at Gosch’s Paddock yesterday, namely winger James Xydias, midfielder Cameron McGillop, defender Ben Carrigan and keeper Steven Hatzikourtis.