Adelaide United will face Brisbane Roar in the top-of-the-table clash without its midfield maestro after coach Rini Coolen confirmed Argentine Marcos Flores will miss the match due to injury.
Coolen admitted Flores is not 100 percent fit and it wasn’t worth risking him in Saturday night’s match, with the Dutchman preferring to preserve the creative playmaker as United begin a busy period where they play three games in seven days.
The Reds boss remains confident his star no. 10 will be set to start against Perth Glory at Hindmarsh Stadium on Wednesday night, however.
“Flores won’t play tomorrow,” Coolen said. “We’ve taken the decision to not put him on the pitch and I think it’s a real smart decision.”
“He’s not 100 percent fit and if you’re not physically and in your head … I took the decision, talking with him personally and then we both took the decision not to play with him and make him ready for the next game.”
Adelaide, though, will be boosted by captain Travis Dodd’s return after missing last week with an Achilles injury, having scored in the 3-0 win over Wellington.
Dodd limped off in injury time in the third game of his comeback after groin surgery in the off season, but Coolen conceded the forward will be coming off the bench this week.
The Reds are already without exciting youngster Matthew Leckie, who is set to miss more than two months, after he was injured by a crude challenge against Melbourne Victory last week.
Coolen admitted he will have to reshuffle personnel in the absence of his most dangerous attacking duo but denied tinkering with the Reds system.
“The plan won’t be so much different nor the system, only different kind of players,” he said.
“I’m glad Travis is back but it won’t be smart to start with him. We’ll keep him on the bench. He can come in during the second half and build him up for the rest of the games. We hope he can stay fit and do something during the game if it is necessary.”
“We have to accept we can only play with the players who are available. Of course there’s a difference when you can’t play with Leckie, you can’t play with Flores, Travis is not fit at the moment.”
The United coach admitted he was looking forward to a ‘good football match’ with ‘good football teams’ after last week’s grudge match against the Victory.
Coolen said the Reds are confident heading into the top-of-the-table encounter, despite United suffering their first defeat of the season, ending their record 13 consecutive unbeaten games.
The Dutchman said his side won’t be focussing too much on Brisbane’s star, Thomas Broich and is hoping the Roar’s midweek trip to Wellington takes its toll on their opponents.
“We are two good football teams,” he said.
“They have a little bit more confidence than us because we’ve lost a few players and lost our last game. But still, we have a lot of confidence, we’ve only lost one game and we’re playing a lot of good football. We’re still a good football team and I hope it will be a good football game.”
“They play really well and I’m looking forward to this kind of game. They are a good team with a lot of good individual players – we have that as well. So, you have to play against Brisbane and not one person.”
“We’ve had more days off then they have had so it could make a difference at the end of the game. It could be something positive.”
