Qantas Socceroos defender Shane Stefanutto will put nine months of injury despair behind him on Tuesday night when he makes his first appearance for new club Brisbane Roar.
After a long layoff after undergoing a knee reconstruction while playing for the North Queensland Fury last season, Stefanutto will finally make a return to action against a Brisbane Invitational XI at Rochedale.
Fellow new Roar recruits Rocky Visconte and Milan Susak join Stefanutto in making their first competitive appearance for the club as it looks to continue its undefeated pre-season.
“It’s been a long road but I’m really looking forward to it,” Stefanutto said.
“It will be good to put that Roar jersey on and step out there again.”
“It’s been great to be back in full training but I’m really happy to be heading back out on the field and building up for the start of the season.”
Stefanutto credited his new team-mates and the Roar’s coaching staff for keeping him motivated during his long stint on the sidelines and the club’s pre-season tour.
“The boys would sometimes call me the tourist,” Stefanutto joked.
“But since I’ve been with the club there has always been Kenny (assistant coach Ken Stead) and Timmy (physio Tim Oostenbroek) and they’ve set good programs and if I needed that little push they were there to help me out.”
Another who hasn’t seen much action since joining the club is Visconte who has battled a hamstring injury during the pre-season.
But now issued with a clean bill of health, the 20-year-old speedster is itching for the chance to claim a spot in Brisbane’s lethal attack.
“I’m really looking forward to my first hit-out … and hopefully I get a fair amount of time in the game,” Visconte said.
“I had to train for a couple of weeks to make sure I was over the injury, but going to all the games and watching the boys play just made me wish I was out there with them.”
