Riley McGree and Kristian Opseth have handed Adelaide United a boost by returning to Gertjan Verbeek’s squad for the visit to runaway leaders Sydney FC.
The Hyundai A-League Champions can call on Michael Zullo against the Reds on Saturday night, as fellow full-back Rhyan Grant begins his three-match suspension, while Trent Buhagair and Tom Heward-Belle are with Graham Arnold’s U-23 squad preparing for the AFC U-23 Championship.
Greek marquee Panagiotis Kone returns for Western United for their Victorian Derby against Melbourne City. Ersan Gulum is also back from for Mark Rudan’s men, which is timely, as defenders Aaron Calver and Brandon Hamill join Josh Risdon on the treatment table.
Meanwhile, City are missing four players who are with Australia U-23s – Tom Glover, Ramy Najjarine, Connor Metcalfe and Denis Genreau – but Scott Jamieson has recovered from illness for the Friday night clash.
Wellington Phoenix are boosted with the return of Jaushua Sotirio and Alex Rufer. Ufuk Talay’s men seek to continue their seven-match unbeaten run against a Central Coast Mariners side, who have Kye Rowles back available for selection.
Kenny Athiu and Kristijan Dobras are in the mix for Marco Kurz’s Melbourne Victory, while captain Ola Toivonen is suspended for the home match against Newcastle Jets. Ernie Merrick does not have any additions to his squad but the Jets coach can put a timeline on Nigel Boogard and Abdiel Arroyo’s recovery schedules. The pair are estimated to be out two to four more weeks.
Read on for all of the important team news for every match this weekend.
HOW TO WATCH: All the action in Round 13
Melbourne City v Western United FC
Friday, 3 January 2020
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-Off: 7:30pm (Local) (7:30pm (AEDT))
Referee: Adam Kersey
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Ilievski
Assistant Referee 2: Andrew Meimarakis
Fourth Official: Daniel Elder
VAR: Alex King
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 from 7:00pm (AEDT), Sky Sport 7 (New Zealand), Kayo Sports (kayosports.com.au) and MyFootball Live App, Live Fast and Data Free for Telstra mobile customers
Radio Broadcast: myfootballnation.com (Super radio Network, Sport FM, SEN3)
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #MCYvWUN
To purchase tickets visit a-league.com.au/tickets
Melbourne City FC squad: 2.Scott GALLOWAY, 3.Scott JAMIESON, 4.Harrison DELBRIDGE, 6.Josh BRILLANTE, 7.Rostyn GRIFFITHS, 8.Javier CABRERA, 9.Jamie MACLAREN, 10.Florin BERENGUER 11.Craig NOONE, 13.Nathaniel ATKINSON, 19.Lachlan WALES, 20.Adrian LUNA, 22.Curtis GOOD, 23.Dean BOUZANIS (gk), 30.Moudi NAJJAR, 35.Raphael BORGES RODRIGUES, 39.Idrus ABDULAHI, 40.Richard WINDBICHLER, 46.Joe GAUCI (gk), 49.Stefan COLAKOVSKI
**2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 30.Moudi Najjar (promoted), 35.Raphael BORGES RODRIGUES (promoted), 39.Idrus ABDULAHI (promoted), 49.Stefan COLAKOVSKI (promoted), 46.Joe GAUCI (gk) (promoted), 3.Scott JAMIESON (returns from illness).
Outs: 1.Tom GLOVER (gk) (international duty), 21.Ramy NAJJARINE (international duty), 34.Connor METCALFE (international duty),
Unavailable: 17.Denis GENREAU (international duty)
Western United FC squad: 1.Filip KURTO (gk), 4.Andrew DURANTE, 5.Dylan PIERIAS, 7.Valentino YUEL 8.Panagiotis KONE, 9.Apostolos STAMATELOPOULOS, 10.Scott McDONALD, 11.Connor PAIN, 12.Dario JERTEC, 13.Ivan VUJICA, 14.Max BURGESS, 15.Jonathan ASPROPOTAMITIS, 17.Joshua CAVALLO, 18.Besart BERISHA, 21. Sebastian PASQUALI, 22.Ersan GULUM, 23.Alessandro DIAMANTI (c), 26.Kwabena APPIAH-KUBI 27.Jerry SKOTADIS, 30.Ryan SCOTT (gk)
**2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 8.Panagiotis KONE (return from injury), 13.Ivan VUJICA (promoted), 21.Sebastian PASQUALI (promoted), 22.Ersan GULUM (return from injury)
Outs: 2. Aaron Calver (injury), 3.Brendan HAMILL (injury)
Unavailable: 20.James DELIANOV (gk) (knee – season) 19.Josh RISDON (injury)
PREVIEW: Melbourne City v Western United FC
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6098212709001
Wellington Phoenix v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday, 4 January 2020
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Kick-Off: 7:15pm (Local) (5:00pm (AEDT))
Referee: Jonathan Barreiro
Assistant Referee 1: Mark Rule
Assistant Referee 2: Sarah Jones
Fourth Official: Adam Bavcar
VAR: Nick Waldron
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 from 4:30pm (AEDT), ABC TV from 5:00pm (AEDT), Sky Sport 7 (New Zealand), Kayo Sports (kayosports.com.au) and MyFootball Live App, Live Fast and Data Free for Telstra mobile customers
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #WELvCCM
To purchase tickets visit a-league.com.au/tickets
Wellington Phoenix squad: 1.Stefan MARINOVIC (gk), 2.Liam McGING, 3.Luke DEVERE, 4.Te Atawhai HUDSON-WIHONGI, 5.Matti STEINMANN, 6.Tim PAYNE, 7.Reno PISCOPO, 8.Cameron DEVLIN, 9.David BALL, 10.Ulises DAVILA, 11.Jaushua SOTIRIO, 13.Liberato CACACE, 14.Alex RUFER, 20.Oliver SAIL (gk), 21.Callum MCCOWATT, 23.Walter SCOTT, 27.Steven TAYLOR (c), 31.Ben WAINE, 32.Sam SUTTON, 88. Gary HOOPER
**2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 11.Jaushua SOTIRIO (return from illness), 14.Alex RUFER (return from injury), 23.Walter SCOTT (promoted), 32.Sam SUTTON
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 16.Louis FENTON (shoulder – season)
Central Coast Mariners squad: 1.Mark BIRIGHITTI (gk), 2.Ian Zygmunt GORDON, 3.Jack CLISBY, 4.Eunsun KIM, 6.Giancarlo GALLIFUOCO, 7.Milan ÐURIĆ, 9.Jordan MURRAY, 10.Tommy OAR, 11.Daniel DESILVA, 12.Adam PEARCE (gk), 15.Kye ROWLES, 16.Dylan FOX, 17.Samuel SILVERA, 18.Gianni STENSNESS, 19.Matthew SIMON, 21.Ruon TONGYIK, 26.Joshua NISBET, 27.Lewis MILLER, 29.Jair BRITTO, 30.Dylan RUIZ-DIAZ
**2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 15. Kye Rowles (Promoted), 21. Ruon TONGYIK (Promoted)
Outs: nil
Unavailable: nil
PREVIEW: Wellington Phoenix v Central Coast Mariners
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6118544101001
Sydney FC v Adelaide United
Saturday, 4 January 2020
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah
Kick-Off: 7:30pm (Local) (7:30pm (AEDT))
Referee: Adam Fielding
Assistant Referee 1: Owen Goldrick
Assistant Referee 2: Greg Taylor
Fourth Official: Stephen Lucas
VAR: Alex King
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 from 7:00pm (AEDT), Sky Sport 7 (New Zealand), Kayo Sports (kayosports.com.au) and MyFootball Live App, Live Fast and Data Free for Telstra mobile customers
Radio Broadcast: myfootballnation.com (SWR999)
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #SYDvADL
To purchase tickets visit a-league.com.au/tickets
Sydney FC squad: 1.Andrew REDMAYNE (gk), 2.Patrick FLOTTMANN, 4.Alex WILKINSON (c), 5.Alex BAUMJOHANN, 6.Ryan McGOWAN, 7.Michael ZULLO, 8.Paulo RETRE, 9.Adam LE FONDRE, 10.Milos NINKOVIC, 11.Kosta BARBAROUSES, 16.Joel KING, 17.Anthony CACERES, 18.Luke IVANOVIC, 21.Harry VAN DER SAAG, 24.Marco TILIO, 25.Ryan TEAGUE, 26.Luke BRATTAN, 27.Jordi SWIBEL, 28.Calem NIEUWENHOF, 30.Adam PAVLESIC (gk).
**2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 7.Michael ZULLO (return from injury), 24.Marco TILIO (promoted), 27.Jordi SWIBEL (promoted), 28.Calem NIEUWENHOF (promoted), 30.Adam PAVLESIC (gk) (promoted).
Outs: 12.Trent BUHAGIAR (international duty), 20.Tom HEWARD-BELLE (knee), 23.Rhyan GRANT (suspension)
Unavailable: 3.Ben WARLAND (ACL), 13.Brandon O’NEILL (knee), 19.Chris ZUVELA (knee)
Adelaide United squad: 2.Michael MARRONE, 4.Ryan STRAIN, 5.Michaël MARIA, 6.Vince LIA, 7.Ryan KITTO, 8.Riley McGREE, 10.James TROISI, 11.Kristian OPSETH, 14.George BLACKWOOD, 16.Nathan KONSTANDOPOULOS, 17.Nikola MILEUSNIĆ, 18.Lachlan BROOK, 20.Paul IZZO (gk), 22.Michael JAKOBSEN (c), 23.Jordan ELSEY, 26.Ben HALLORAN, 27.Louis D’ARRIGO, 30.Isaac RICHARDS (gk), 40.Dakota OCHSENHAM (gk)
**1-3 to be omitted**
Ins: 8.Riley McGREE (returns from injury), 11.Kristian OPSETH (returns from injury), 40.Dakota OCHSENHAM (promoted)
Outs: nil
Unavailable: 1.Daniel MARGUŠ (international duty), 29.Kusini YENGI (knee), 31.Mirko BOLAND (knee), 35.Al Hassan TOURE (international duty), 36.Noah SMITH (foot)
PREVIEW: Sydney FC v Adelaide United
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6093995159001
Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets
Sunday, 5 January 2020
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-Off: 6:30pm (Local) (6:30pm (AEDT))
Referee: Daniel Elder
Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Lindsay
Assistant Referee 2: George Lakrindis
Fourth Official: Kate Jacewicz
VAR: Kris Griffiths-Jones
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 from 6:00pm (AEDT), Sky Sport 7 (New Zealand), Kayo Sports (kayosports.com.au) and MyFootball Live App, Live Fast and Data Free for Telstra mobile customers
Radio Broadcast: myfootballnation.com (SEN+, SEN2)
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #MVCvNEW
To purchase tickets visit a-league.com.au/tickets
Melbourne Victory squad: 2.Storm ROUX, 3.Corey BROWN, 4.James DONACHIE, 5.Tim HOOGLAND, 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 7.Kenny ATHIU, 8.Jakob POULSEN, 9.Andrew NABBOUT, 10.Robbie KRUSE, 16.Josh HOPE, 17.Elvis KAMSOBA, 18.Migjen BASHA, 19.Ben CARRIGAN, 20.Lawrence THOMAS (gk), 21.Adama TRAORE, 22.Kristijan DOBRAS, 24.Anthony LESIOTIS, 25.Brandon LAUTON, 26.Jay BARNETT, 50.Brendan WHITE (gk)
**2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 7.Kenny ATHIU (promoted), 16.Josh HOPE (promoted), 22.Kristijan DOBRAS (return from suspension)
Outs: 11.Ola TOIVONEN (suspended – 1 week)
Unavailable: 1.Matt ACTON (shoulder), 14.Thomas DENG (international duty)
Newcastle Jets squad: 1.Glen MOSS (gk), 2.Bobby BURNS, 3.Jason HOFFMAN, 5.Ben KANTAROVSKI, 6.Steven UGARKOVIC, 10.Dimi PETRATOS, 11.Nick FITZGERALD, 14.Kaine SHEPPARD, 16.Matt MILLAR, 18.Johnny KOUTROUMBIS, 19.Kosta PETRATOS, 20.Lewis ITALIANO (gk), 22.Lachlan JACKSON, 23.Matt RIDENTON, 25.Jack SIMMONS, 28.Pat LANGLOIS, 32.Angus THURGATE, 44.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY
**1-2 to be omitted**
Ins: Nil
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 4.Nigel BOOGAARD (adductor – 2-4 weeks), 8.Wes HOOLAHAN (ankle – indefinite), 9.Abdiel ARROYO (hamstring – 2-4 weeks)
Bye: Perth Glory
PREVIEW: Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6118556139001
