Adelaide United boss Carl Veart admits he’ll be making constant changes in a bid to keep his players ‘on their toes’ as they look to chase down leaders Auckland FC before season’s end.
The Reds currently sit third on the ladder, eight points back from the Black Knights after they somehow managed to salvage a draw against the league leaders in Round 21.
The draw for Adelaide, care of defender Bart Vriends’ dramatic 98th minute leveller, prevented Veart’s men from suffering a third-straight loss in the Isuzu UTE A-League and the head coach says he’ll now look to mix things up in a bid to secure maximum points in the run home.
CLICK HERE TO SECURE YOUR TICKETS TO THE ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE
Up next for the Reds is a crucial home clash against lowly Brisbane Roar on Saturday afternoon, with Ruben Zadkovich’s side still having recorded just one win all season.
MATCH REPORT: Sydney FC take huge step towards ACL semis after stunning away victory
“Yeah, there will be some changes,” said Veart when addressing the media in his pre-match press conference.
“I think I’ve made that clear to the playing group. For the last eight games, there’ll be changes every week.
“We’ve got to keep all the boys on the toes, because we need to be firing every game now to make sure that we pick up maximum points.”
Returning for their Round 22 clash with Brisbane Roar will be key central defender Panagiotis Kikianis.
TEAM NEWS: Ins & Outs Round 22: Young Socceroos return from Asian Cup triumph, double boost for City
Fresh from capturing the AFC U20 Asian Cup crown with the Young Socceroos, Kikianis will now slot straight back into the heart of an Adelaide defence which has conceded nine goals since he last played.
“Yeah, look, Pana will come back in. He’s an integral part of our team, and we sort of missed that little bit of calmness at the back.
“Even though he’s a very young player, he provides that calmness and that passing ability that he brings that suits the way that we want to play.
He went on to say: “We don’t want to concede as many goals that we do, but we’re not going to change the way that we play.
“We want to be an attacking team that that scores goals and and the way that we play, at times, we leave ourselves a little bit vulnerable and a little bit open at the back. And you know, that’s something that I’m happy to take as long as we score more goals than the opposition.”
WEEKEND PREVIEW: What you need to know for Round 22 of the Isuzu UTE A-League
Also bidding to make a return to the starting line-up us wing-back Dylan Pierias.
The 25-year-old has proven to be a revelation for the Reds since joining from Western Sydney in the off-season, netting three goals and registering three assists from a deeper position on the pitch, however he’s missed the last two games due to illness.
In a further boost for Veart, forward Luka Jovanovic and midfielder Jonny Yull are also set to return to the squad after their exploits with the Young Socceroos while experienced midfielder Stefan Mauk could also start after featuring off the bench against Auckland.
Following this weekend’s home game with Brisbane, Adelaide then face three of the current top six teams within their seven-game run to the end of the season.
