Out-of-favour Brisbane Roar attacker Brandon Borrello set to remain until end of the season

OUT-of-favour attacker Brandon Borrello is set to remain a Brisbane Roar player at least until the end of the season.

Brandon Borello. Brisbane Roar Vs Melbourne City at Suncorp Stadium. Pic Jono Searle.

OUT-of-favour attacker Brandon Borrello is set to remain a Brisbane Roar player at least until the end of the season.

Speculation had mounted that Borrello – off contract at the end of the season – was set to leave the Roar during next month’s transfer window.

The talk was perhaps further fuelled by his omission from Brisbane’s match-day squad in the Roar’s 2-1 weekend win over Wellington Phoenix in Cairns.

It completed a massive fall from grace for the 20-year-old Adelaide product, the scorer of four goals this season and who less than six weeks ago earned a Young Footballer of the Year nomination after his great start to the season.

But a dip in form came at the wrong time for Borrello, with the Roar’s attacking options boosted in recent weeks by the return from injury of firstly Henrique and then Jean Carlos Solorzano, who made a significant impact off the bench in Brisbane’s defeat of Phoenix.

“It’s not easy to leave out players, but they’re decisions that I have to make and I have to go with who I’m seeing is in form, who’s playing better (and) who’s training better,” Roar coach John Aloisi said.

“It’s going to be tough for Borrello but he needs to show that he’s got good character and I’m sure he has.”

Borrello remains in no hurry to re-sign with the Roar for next season, but it’s understood he has no plans to leave next month and is intent on forcing his way back into Brisbane’s best 11.

The Roar want to keep him and believe his career would be better served by remaining in the A-League for at least another two years.

Borrello’s form slump won’t be helping his chances of forcing his way into Australia’s under-23 squad for next month’s Olympic Games qualifiers in Qatar.

But James Donachie’s lack of football isn’t expected to cost him selection for the same tournament.

The centre-back has not been able to force his way back into the Roar first team since returning from a quad injury.

The injury and the form of fellow central defenders Daniel Bowles and Jade North have restricted Donachie to just 12 minutes of A-League football this season, and he’s seemingly at long odds to start on Sunday against Central Coast Mariners in Gosford.

Brisbane other centre-back, Luke DeVere, is set to play for the first time in more than six months on Saturday as an over-age player for the club’s National Youth League team against Adelaide United at the Cleveland Showgrounds.

DeVere hasn’t played since seriously aggravating a quad complaint in the Roar’s 3-0 friendly win over Spanish club Villarreal on June 3.

The Roar hold an open training session and fan day from 7.30am on Tuesday at their new Griffith University Nathan campus base.

Originally published as Out-of-favour Brisbane Roar attacker Brandon Borrello set to remain until end of the season