Perth Glory interim head coach Ruben Zadkovich has confirmed English recruit Daniel Sturridge will start for his side against Western Sydney Wanderers at HBF Park on Saturday night.
The former Liverpool and Chelsea striker has played just 93 minutes of football across five games this season – all from the bench – and has gone unsighted since February 23 after trudging off the field with a groin injury sustained against Macarthur FC.
“He’ll start,” Zadkovich told the media in Perth on Friday morning.
“He’s worked hard for a long period, now, to try and get himself in a position to play again. We could use him off the bench – he’s obviously going to be underdone – but I just thought (with) the quality of the person, the quality of the player, the fans would love to see him go out there and start the game.
“We don’t have much riding on the game, we have nothing to lose, so it’s an occasion where we can make it nice and positive.”
Sturridge returns alongside newly-capped Socceroos striker Bruno Fornaroli, who is back in the mix after an ankle injury.
FRIDAY, APRIL 29
MELBOURNE VICTORY v WELLINGTON PHOENIX
Wellington Phoenix are back in Australia to face Melbourne Victory on Friday night, after a two-game homecoming which produced one loss and one win, keeping Ufuk Talay’s side entrenched in the top six.
Victory’s weekend slip-up against Brisbane Roar means Tony Popovic’s side no longer have the chance to jump Western United and Melbourne City into top spot in the A-League Men’s standings with a win over the ‘Nix at AAMI Park. But, the 0-0 Roar draw did extend Victory’s club-record unbeaten streak to 13, a positive to take for the third-placed side still in the hunt for the Premiership by the end of the regular season.
This is the second league meeting between these two sides in 2021-22, with the ‘Nix edging the first encounter 1-0 thanks to Reno Piscopo’s solitary strike.
KEY STAT: The ‘Nix have won their last two games against Victory and will be looking to log a third straight win in this fixture for the very first time.
TIP: Victory win at home.
Melbourne Victory v Wellington Phoenix
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEST
TV: P+
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SATURDAY, APRIL 30
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS v WESTERN UNITED
The Mariners are running hot in the A-League Men’s, winning their last two games by a combined score of 8-2 to fly into the top six, bundling Macarthur FC out of the finals slots in the process.
On Saturday, Nick Montgomery’s Mariners will face their sternest test between now and the end of the season: second-placed Western United, who will move to the top of the table should they defeat the Mariners at Central Coast Stadium.
Jason Cummings is one of the in-form players in the competition, with 14 goal contributions (nine goals, five assists) in his 17 games at the Mariners since his mid-season arrival. The Central Coast spearhead will be looking to atone for his last-gasp penalty miss in his side’s 2-2 draw with Western in early April.
KEY STAT: The Mariners have won all three of their previous A-League Men games against Western at Central Coast Stadium, keeping two clean sheets.
TIP: An entertaining draw.
Central Coast Mariners v Western United
Central Coast Stadium
Kick-off: 4.05pm AEST
TV: P+
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ADELAIDE UNITED v BRISBANE ROAR
Adelaide United charge toward the end of the season, with the second of three consecutive home games against Brisbane Roar on Saturday night giving Carl Veart’s side the chance to end the campaign on a five-game winning run.
The Reds have Brisbane and Western still to play at Coopers Stadium after wins over Perth Glory, Sydney FC and Macarthur. Adelaide are fourth in the table and streaming toward the finals series.
Roar boss Warren Moon laid down the challenge to his senior players to step up and be counted on their travels to Coopers Stadium on Saturday night, after admitting he was “not happy with everyone’s effort levels” in his side’s 1-1 draw with Victory last time out.
Brisbane sit second from the bottom in the A-League Men’s table, with hope of a finals foray extinguished.
KEY STAT: Adelaide have won eight of their last 11 A-League Men games against Brisbane (D1, L2) and are undefeated in their last four meetings in the competition (W3, D1).
TIP: A commanding win for the Reds.
Adelaide United v Brisbane Roar
Coopers Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEST
TV: P+
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PERTH GLORY v WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS
Perth Glory and Western Sydney face off in a battle for pride between 10th and 12th in the A-League Men’s table at HBF Park on Saturday night. The Wanderers are all-but out of finals contention, now eight points behind the Mariners in sixth with three games to play, and fourth in line outside the finals standings waiting at the door of the top six.
Perth, meanwhile, are in dire need of a win for their home fans after going six games without collecting a point. Perth’s last win came in February: a 2-0 triumph over Brisbane. They’ve since lost 12 out of 15 games.
KEY STAT: Perth have not lost any of their last 10 home games against Western Sydney in the ALM (W7, D3) and have scored a goal in each of their last 10 home games against the Wanderers in the competition.
TIP: Perth to buck the losing trend against the far-travelling Wanderers.
Perth Glory v Western Sydney Wanderers
HBF Park
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEST
TV: P+, Network 10
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SUNDAY, MAY 1
MACARTHUR FC v NEWCASTLE JETS
Newcastle Jets travel to Campbelltown to face Macarthur FC on Sunday afternoon without star midfielder Daniel Penha, who serves a suspension for a straight red card received in a feisty F3 Derby defeat last weekend.
Macarthur, meanwhile are headed toward an off-season of change, with head coach Ante Milicic this week announcing he will depart his role at the club at the end of the campaign.
Whether Milicic’s Bulls tenure ends at the conclusion of the regular season or sometime in the finals will be largely dependent on this weekend’s results; should the Mariners drop points against Western on Saturday, Macarthur can jump back into the top six by overcoming the Jets on Sunday afternoon.
The finals equation is all the more complex for Newcastle, badly damaged by a three-game losing streak heading into the weekend. The Jets need maximum points from their last three games and plenty of other results to go their way to climb from ninth to sixth in time for finals.
KEY STAT: Macarthur are unbeaten against Newcastle in A-League Men history, winning two and drawing two of the previous four encounters.
TIP: Bulls triumph over out-of-form Jets.
Macarthur FC v Newcastle Jets
Campbelltown Stadium
Kick-off: 4.05pm AEST
TV: P+
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