Melbourne Victory head coach Arthur Diles says the club has not yet received the necessary paperwork for Socceroos goalkeeper Mitch Langerak to be eligible for selection ahead of this weekend’s clash with Adelaide United.
Langerak signed with Victory in August on an 18-month deal that officially began on January 16, which allowed the 35-year-old goalkeeper to complete the J1 League season with Japanese side Nagoya Grampus.
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But with just two days between the January transfer window opening and Victory’s Original Rivalry clash with Adelaide at Coopers Stadium, Diles revealed the veteran goalkeeper is unlikely to feature in Round 15 as the club awaits the green light to welcome him back into a Victory matchday squad for the first time since his departure from the club in 2010 to Borussia Dortmund.
“We haven’t got official paperwork yet to clear Mitch,” Diles said.
“I know the window has opened, but now there’s still paperwork that needs to be sorted between federations (Football Australia and Japan Football Association). So until we have that, then he’s actually not in contention.
“Once we have that and official paperwork ready, then we’ll cross that bridge.”
“Once the window opens, it’s just a formality, really,” Diles added. “Sometimes it takes hours, sometimes it might take a day or two. So we’re hoping it’d be sorted as soon as possible, but that’s out of our control right now, and once we get clarity on that and confirmation, then we can plan with him.”
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Diles said there are currently no plans for Langerak to travel with the team to Adelaide as the club waits to receive word on the new signing’s selection eligibility – although the situation may quickly change if the approval comes prior to Saturday’s Original Rivalry.
“That’s the decision we haven’t made yet,” he said. “We’re hoping to have that finalised prior to travelling (to Adelaide) so we don’t have to deal with something like that. But yeah, we should know in the next 24 hours.”
Diles added: “At this point in time, we’re planning with Jack (Duncan) in goals, that’s the plan. “So, you know, for us, it’s making sure that, first of all, he’s available to be part of the squad – that’s the first step… after that we see how we go moving forward.”
Victory face Adelaide in a highly-anticipated Original Rivalry clash on Saturday night. Tickets are selling fast for the Coopers Stadium showdown, with an expected sellout setting the stage for a tantalising match-up between second-placed Adelaide and Victory in seventh.
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