The Perth Glory will go into Friday’s clash with Newcastle without two of its best defenders after David Tarka joined Hayden Foxe on the club’s injured list.
The Perth Glory will go into Friday’s clash with Newcastle without two of its best defenders after David Tarka joined Hayden Foxe on the club’s injured list.
Glory coach Dave Mitchell confirmed that Tarka had a strained quadricep following last weekend’s 1-0 loss to Adelaide United, saying he would be taking no risks with the 25-year-old who has previously had a serious knee injury.
“David’s going to miss this week,” said Mitchell on Wednesday. “It’s a soft tissue one (injury), so if you do try and play and mask it with anti-inflammatory injections, you can do more damage.”
“So, it’s just a precaution and we want to make sure he’s going to be fit for next week.”
Mitchell said midfielder James Robinson would also miss the club’s first home game of the season after injuring stomach muscles prior to playing the Reds, but he said both Jamie Harnwell and new Argentinean signing Adrian Trinidad were a chance to play their first matches of the new campaign.
“He’s (Harnwell) available for selection,” said Mitchell, saying the versatile defender-cum-forward had recovered from a pre-season hip operation.
“It’s an important game for us, the first home game of the season and we want the crowd to get behind us and Jamie’s a fan favourite so it will be nice to have him included. But I haven’t decided yet,” Mitchell said.
“(And, Trinidad) he’s looking right and he’s available for selection.”
Despite the injuries, Mitchell said he was confident of a committed performance by the Glory in front of their home fans, saying his side wasn’t dwelling on the fact it was the only team to lose during the Hyundai A-League’s opening round after conceding the winning goal to Adelaide skipper Travis Dodd.
“It’s just disappointing, that’s all,” said Mitchell. “But I think the boys worked so hard and it was one really good play by Mr. Dodd that got in.”
“We had a couple of chances we probably could have capitalised on, but that’s the nature of football.”
“But I think everyone could see the nature of the players; the effort and desire and commitment were there and that’s all I can ask of them, and a bit of guile and level headedness in certain cases, which I’m sure will come.”
