Auckland FC head coach Steve Corica has ruled Black Knights captain Hiroki Sakai out of contention for minutes in next weekend’s New Zealand Derby against Wellington Phoenix.
The Black Knights went top of the Isuzu UTE A-League table with a 2-1 win over Adelaide United in Round 3 but their second win of the season came at a cost, with Sakai succumbing to a hamstring injury early in the first half of the clash at Go Media Stadium.
The extent of the hamstring injury is not yet clear but Corica is “100%” certain it will rule Sakai out of a Round 4 meeting with the club’s New Zealand rivals.
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Auckland travel to take on the ‘Nix at Sky Stadium on Saturday, November 8 in the first New Zealand Derby of the 2025-26 season. Corica’s Black Knights won all three of last season’s derby bouts with Wellington.
“It looks like the hamstring; he said he felt his hamstring. I don’t know how bad it’s going to be, I suppose we’ll find out in the next few days,” Corica said.
“He won’t be ready for next week, 100%. And then we have the international week (break) after that. Depending, maybe after that he might be fine, I’m not too sure.”
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Sakai was replaced in Auckland’s backline by New Zealand international Callan Elliot on Saturday afternoon; Corica praised the 26-year-old for his performance against Adelaide, deputising for Sakai on the right side of Auckland’s defensive back four.
“Callan came on, it’s never easy to come on at the time he did and I thought he was really (well),” Corica said. “Defensivley strong, aggressive, got forward at times. It’s good to have the depth in the squad like that that he can come on and do that.”
While Sakai sits out the New Zealand Derby, Wellington will be without an important defender of their own as All Whites fullback Tim Payne continues his recovery from a broken collarbone suffered against Brisbane Roar in Round 2.
