Adelaide United head coach Carl Veart insists he is taking no chances when it comes to the fitness of off-season Dutch signing Bart Vriends.
Vriends joined the Reds from Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam but has yet to feature for the Isuzu UTE A-League club after struggling with a series of injuries picked up in pre-season.
Veart provided an update on the 33-year-old ahead of Saturday’s Round 3 showdown with Western Sydney Wanderers.
BUY YOUR TICKETS FOR WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS V ADELAIDE UNITED HERE!
“Bart is very, very close,” said Veart when asked if Vriends was close to be named in the travelling squad for the Western Sydney trip.
“Touch wood, if things go well the rest of this weekend, early next week, he’ll definitely play next week.”
After playing 215 games for Sparta Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Vriends swapped his homeland for South Australia in the off-season and put pen-to-paper on a two-year deal with the Reds.
However, Adelaide fans are yet to get a glimpse of their new signing, with a series of minor muscular problems hampering Vriends’ start to life at Coopers Stadium.
“There was a big chance we could have gone with him this week, but we give him that extra full week,” said Veart.
“He’s our prize recruit that we bought in. He was our number one target to bring into the squad, to bring the extra quality and that leadership at the back.”
He added: “So, yeah, he’s a big player for us. As I said, he’s done everything right this week and beginning of next week, if he ticks those boxes, he’ll definitely play next week.”
The Reds travel to CommBank Stadium this weekend to face the Wanderers in what will be just their second match of the season having had the bye in round one.
Having made his starting debut last weekend for the Wanderers, Spanish FIFA World Cup winner Juan Mata is expected to line up for the home side again in Round 3.
BUY YOUR TICKETS FOR WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS V ADELAIDE UNITED HERE!
However, despite the obvious talent and experience that Mata brings to both the Wanderers and the Isuzu UTE A-League, Veart says their opponents have got plenty of other dangerous players who they’ll also need to target.
“Yeah, look, their whole team have got some good quality players in the whole team, and it’s just not going to be the one player. Football these days requires all your players to play well for you to get the the win,” he said.
“But he had some really good movements and touches last week so it’s something that we’re going to have to be mindful of, the areas that he works in.
“They’ve got some really other good quality attacking players as well (though) that we have to be very mindful of.”
In good news on the injury front, key midfielder Stefan Mauk has been named in the travelling squad for the trip to Western Sydney.
Mauk was substituted in the 74th minute of the 1-1 draw with Central Coast Mariners whilst appearing to clutch at his hamstring however the midfielder has been given the all clear to play this weekend.
BUY YOUR TICKETS FOR WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS V ADELAIDE UNITED HERE!
