Bruno Fornaroli still out for Melbourne City as coach Warren Joyce urges players to spread load

Bruno Fornaroli is still on the outer at Melbourne City, with coach Warren Joyce declaring “nothing had changed” in the standoff between the pair as he prepares for a tough clash against Adelaide United.

Bruno Fornaroli is still out of the Melbourne City side. Picture: Getty

Melbourne City coach Warren Joyce has urged his players to spread the goalscoring load, as the stalemate with marquee star Bruno Fornaroli continues.

City faces a tough clash away to fourth-place Adelaide United, the last before the traditional pre-Christmas derby.

Versatile Osama Malik returns to the squad against his former club, with Curtis Good (suspended) and Florin Berenguer (injured) headlining the other omissions.

ANALYSIS: THE ISSUES BETWEEN FORNAROLI AND JOYCE

STAR: FORNAROLI HAS LIKELY PLAYED LAST GAME FOR CITY

ANGER: CITY FANS THREATEN TO PROTEST OVER FORNAROLI AXING

City has manufactured just eight goals in seven games this season, and their former captain Michael Jakobsen cuts another imposing defender the Lachlan Wales-led attack must penetrate.

Revealing that “nothing had changed” in the Fornaroli standoff, Joyce said the final pass and a lack of attacking numbers were the main problem, after conjecture over City’s claims that they “dominated” in last week’s loss at Perth Glory.

Bruno Fornaroli is still out of the Melbourne City side. Picture: Getty

Melbourne City coach Warren Joyce.

“If you look at teams around the world and teams in other sports, if you have a lot of people scoring goals or scoring lots of points — I’ve been watching the basketball this week — you’re more chance of being successful. We’ve wanted that since I came to the football club,’’ Joyce said.

“I thought we got into really good opportunities last week, there’s some good play. They probably had one shot on target.

“I thought we dominated. We didn’t get enough men in the box, we didn’t get enough men breaking from midfield and getting in there and scoring.”

Adelaide is strengthened by the return of Danish star Ken Ilso, who returns after a week out.

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