Perth Glory have lost striker Branko Jelic for Friday night’s clash in North Queensland but fellow forward Eugene Dadi still wasn’t included in the traveling party.
Already missing key defender Chris Coyne with a back injury, Glory coach Dave Mitchell said Serbian striker Jelic could miss the next two games after rolling his ankle in last Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Brisbane.
Despite Dadi coming in for Jelic the last time he missed out in Round 13, Mitchell has opted not to bring him back this time, despite the 36-year-old scoring several goals as an over-age player in Perth’s National Youth League side.
Mitchell’s decision is another blow to the French-Ivorian forward, who was equal top-scorer for the club last season with 10 goals alongside Nikita Rukavytsya.
“I think Eugene’s a bit of a luxury,” Mitchell said ahead of departing for Townsville on Wednesday.
“If you supply him well he can score, but the other side, from a defending point of view, that’s not his forte.”
“We’re going up there and we want to close them down up the front and you want to make sure that you have people working hard up there,” he said.
Although Perth’s defence has only conceded two goals in four unbeaten matches, Mitchell is particularly wary of a North Queensland side featuring Robbie Fowler and Daniel McBreen, which will be hurting badly from last week’s 4-1 loss to Sydney.
With Coyne absent from the back four, Mitchell has opted to bring in a more defensive-
minded forward in Scott Bulloch for Jelic, in order to harass North Queensland as it attempts to break from the back.
Bulloch is coming back from a thigh injury that kept him out for two matches, while the coach has also named Jimmy Downey in the squad for the first time this season after he recovered from a serious knee injury.
Andrija Jukic has also been brought in, but young striker Tom Amphlett has been omitted after playing a role in both the Glory’s National Youth League and senior fixtures last weekend in hot conditions.
Having scored in his last start against Sydney, Mitchell said Bulloch’s desperation to come back and impress may give the Glory an edge against the Fury.
“The injuries are disappointing but it gives an opportunity for other players to come in and stake their claim and in the past, they’ve come in and done that and done well,” Mitchell said.
“Against Sydney Scotty came on and scored a goal and did well so he’s back in the frame, and it’s good, there’s a lot of competition for places now.”
“There maybe a bit of a different formation so from that point of view, the injuries are disappointing but other players will still get the opportunity.”
“So it’s good for the team,” he said.
