Newcastle has had mixed news leading up to this week’s minor semi-final against Wellington with defender Tarek Elrich declared fit while midfielder Jin-Hyung Song is hospitalised with a fever.
Song took himself off to hospital after training on Tuesday morning complaining of a fever and flu-like symptoms and will be monitored leading up to Sunday’s do-or-die clash with the Phoenix at Westpac Stadium.
Meanwhile, Elrich has declared himself fit after coming through a heavy training session after a knee injury from last fortnight’s tense semi-final win over the Gold Coast.
“I trained today and got through the session. My knee is obviously a bit sore but I have put up with it for the past couple of days and my groin has been a problem for me for the past two years so that is nothing new,” he said.
“But it is finals football so I don’t really go out there thinking about injuries. It is just a matter of knuckling down and giving it all you have got.”
With a sell-out crowd awaiting them in Wellington and the Phoenix riding high on form as well as an unbelievable home record of 18 matches without a loss, the Jets will go into the match as rank outsiders. However, Elrich believes his side has a better-than-even chance of winning the sudden-death match.
“Everyone is expecting us to lose again and no-one is giving us a chance in the world but we will go out there and enjoy ourselves and play our style of football and just don’t be stupid about it,” he said.
“It is finals football so we are not going to take a risk like we would in the middle of the season. We have to stay compact and hopefully catch them on the break. It is going to be tough but it is nothing that we can’t overcome.”
Elrich also said his team’s finals football experience would also aid the Newcastle side in the match, while the big home crowd and favouritism would put the weight of expectation on the Phoenix.
“We have got a world of experience, we have just got to use it and be smart about it,” Elrich said.
“We obviously have a certain style that we like to play and we need to press them even though they are at home, we have to press them and make them put their head down.”
“They have lost a key player in Jon McKain who plays at the back so obviously they lose a bit of experience there.”
