A-League: Robert Koren, Aaron Hughes to fight for Melbourne City starting position

HIGH-PROFILE visa players Robert Koren and Aaron Hughes will have to win their first XI spots back, according to Melbourne City coach John van’t Schip.

Melbourne City FC v Adelaide United at AAMI park, 27th February Melbourne Australia. Melbourne City's Robert Koren celebrates Josh Kennedy's goal. Picture : George Salpigtidis

HIGH-PROFILE visa players Robert Koren and Aaron Hughes will have to win their first XI spots back, according to Melbourne City coach John van’t Schip.

The coach brought his elated players back down to earth, telling them to forget about the epic 2-1 Melbourne derby win upon returning to training last week.

Midfielder Jacob Melling also looks set to start on the bench with last week’s winning derby XI set to be rewarded when City plays Brisbane Roar on Sunday night.

A re-laid Suncorp Stadium should make for an attractive game between two of the A-League’s most watchable teams, with City smashing in 16 goals in four games since Roar coach John Aloisi’s “anti-football” rant after their 1-1 draw.

While Koren, Hughes and Melling have been first XI players, the form of defenders Ben Garuccio and Jack Clisby and derby goalscorers Stefan Mauk and Paulo Retre looks set to be rewarded.

“It’s not given that when you’re fit you’re a starting line up player,’’ van’t Schip said.

“Hughes and Koren are fit but they have to fight back into the team.

“Mauk came into the team and is doing well, and the boys that are playing doing well, they’re gelling. But we’ll keep on looking, see who’s tired, who needs a rest.

“It’s good when you have players like Robi back, they certainly want to prove they should be in starting line up.

“There won’t be any big differences from last week with the squad, but Melling is back.’’

Eager to keep the momentum going, van’t Schip told the players to shift their focus to Brisbane Roar as soon as they returned to training at their Bundoora training base last week.

Robert Koren likely to start on the bench for Melbourne City’s clash against Brisbane Roar. Picture: George Salpigtidis

“At a certain moment we said the derby was gone,’’ he said.

“If we want to be a team in the top places, there is no time to look backwards, we have to look forward.

“We all know the next game is important and we have to leave the derby behind. The build up is always big, the win makes it bigger so we have to make sure we turn it into a positive.

“We know Brisbane will be a tough game, they have back to back wins and they are in a confident mood also.’’

Van’t Schip said the comments of former City coach Aloisi five weeks ago played no motivational part in City’s prolific, unbeaten run since.

He said City’s tactical approach will be no different to their last meeting.

“They were comments that none of us thought were the truth but we haven’t talked about it,’’ van’t Schip said.

“We kept on doing what we did and got players fitter and as a result we’ve had a few good wins.’’

Originally published as A-League: Robert Koren, Aaron Hughes to fight for Melbourne City starting position