Brisbane’s Ross Aloisi claims Adelaide United skipper Eugene Galekovic struggling with knee injury

BRISBANE Roar assistant boss Ross Aloisi says Adelaide United skipper Eugene Galekovic is struggling with a knee injury – a claim hosed down by Reds boss Guillermo Amor.

Eugene Galekovic defends in front of Bruno Fornaroli at AAMI Park in Melbourne (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)

BRISBANE Roar assistant boss Ross Aloisi says Adelaide United skipper Eugene Galekovic is struggling with a knee injury – a claim hosed down by Reds boss Guillermo Amor.

Former Adelaide captain Aloisi said he believed Galekovic’s knee had been bothering the glovemen for some time, during a Courier Mail podcast this week.

Aloisi claimed the evidence of Galekovic’s problem was clear when Central Coast Mariners’ Connor Pain scored from 25m in a 2-1 win at Hindmarsh last weekend.

Aloisi said the Reds’ captain struggled to launch himself towards the pile driver.

This time last year Galekovic was sidelined until round six after surgery on his knee.

But Amor said it was normal to monitor Galekovic, 35, and other veteran players such as Marcelo Carrusca who is expected to start his first game of the season against Roar at Hindmarsh Friday night.

Carrusca, 33, has fought his way back to fitness after breaking his metatarsal in the early August FFA Cup exit to Redlands United in Brisbane.

Carrusca is tipped to have James Holland – who missed United’s past two matches with a hamstring strain – as a midfield partner for the first time if Amor grants the pair a start.

Carrusca said Adelaide must work harder to dig itself out of a hole which saw the Reds plummet to the bottom of the A-League ladder after last weekend’s loss.

But what makes the Reds’ job of winning the Premier’s Plate again so much harder is that this season table-topping Sydney FC has a 14-point headstart.

Last year the Sky Blues also led the A-League after five rounds as the Reds sunk to bottom.

But Sydney had just a nine-point buffer before falling off the pace.

“Our situation is not the best, unfortunately we have been in this situation before,’’ Carrusca said.

“We have to work a little harder, we know what we are doing and we know that we have to do better.”

Carrusca added he cannot wait to play alongside Reds’ striker Sergi Guardiola who has shown all the right moves during United’s five-game winless start, scoring two goals in the process.

He shapes to be the one player who will fully understand Guardiola’s instincts, which have appeared to be two steps ahead of his forward team-mates this season.

“I’m very excited to play with him (Guardiola),’’ Carrusca said.

“I’m ready and looking forward to playing with him, he’s a great player, very intelligent and I think we can play well together.”

Originally published as Brisbane’s Ross Aloisi claims Adelaide United skipper Eugene Galekovic struggling with knee injury