Mathew Leckie to miss Melbourne City’s crucial clash with Western Sydney Wanderers

Melbourne City coach Aurelio Vidmar believes his team will again ‘cope’ without injured Socceroos great Mathew Leckie.

Mathew Leckie’s injury-riddled season continues, with the Socceroos stalwart ruled out of Melbourne City’s squad for Saturday night’s showdown with Western Sydney Wanderers due to a hamstring problem.

Leckie has struggled with his fitness in City’s 2024-25 campaign, having made just 11 A-League appearance only five as a starter.

It was a similar cast last season, with the veteran attacker appearing in just 13 of City’s A-League games.

His recurring hamstring issue flared again in City’s 3-2 win over Brisbane Roar last Friday night after coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute.

He was able to complete the match, but complained of hamstring “awareness and soreness” after the game.

City coach Aurelio Vidmar seemed confident that the problem was “nothing serious” but wasn’t willing to risk Leckie in a crucial match to the club’s title hopes at CommBank Stadium.

Mathew Leckie is ‘frustrated’ after suffering another hamstring injury. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

“With his history, everything that pops up gives him a little bit more aggravation, so he’s not going to be there this week,” Vidmar said.

“It’s frustrating for him especially, and obviously for us. It’s little things that just happen out of normal actions, that’s the frustrating part.

“He was only just stretching for a ball when he came on and he felt something.

“As much as we’d love to have him, we’ve coped without him throughout the course of the season, and we’ll need to continue to do that.”

Vidmar said it would be a “big night” for second-placed City against a Wanderers team on a nine-match unbeaten run.

“They’ve been in great form. They started the season slowly, but they’ve just been grinding away and playing some very good football,” he said.

“They’re scoring freely, they work extremely hard, and they’ve got some really good players around the park, especially in the midfield and the attacking areas.

“We have to make sure that we have the right mentality.”