A decision on whether Central Coast defender Chris Doig plays in Friday night’s A-League showdown against arch-rivals Newcastle will be left to the last minute.
Doig limped off with a minor calf strain during the second half off the club’s round one upset against Melbourne last Thursday night.
Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna is desperate for Doig to play at Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford after the former English Premier League defender made an impressive Hyundai A-League debut last week.
His partnership with skipper Alex Wilkinson in the centre of defence was a feature of the win against Melbourne.
“I want him to play because it’s another important match, but I’m not going to be taking any risks with him this early in the season,” McKinna said.
“It’s not a major injury but it’s something we want to get right so he is not ruled out for a longer period.
“At the moment he’s about 50-50.”
McKinna is expecting Doig to attempt to complete a training session on Thursday.
“If he trains he’s a good chance but we’ll have to see how he pulls up on Friday morning before making a final decision,” he said.
McKinna is keen to name an unchanged line-up after such a strong performance in round one.
The defence was solid and the new midfielder partnership also looked good against one of the strongest combinations in the competition.
“Last week is well and truly over now, we’ve done well but it’s important we back up and perform well at our home ground,” McKinna said.
