New Melbourne Metropolis coach Rado Vidosic will take a cautious method with Socceroos hero Mathew Leckie in his return to A-League motion on Saturday night time in opposition to Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium.
Leckie and Metropolis’s different two members of Australia’s World Cup squad – Jamie Maclaren and Marco Tilio – had been set to fly to Sydney on Friday, however Vidosic won’t resolve till Saturday on how the trio might be used.
Of the three, the hardworking Leckie had by far the busiest World Cup expertise in Qatar, the place the 31-year-old attacker began in all 4 of the Socceroos’ matches, which had been performed within the house of 11 days.
Total, Leckie – who scored in Australia’s 1-0 win over Denmark – was on the park in Qatar for 336 minutes.
In distinction, Tilio wasn’t used in any respect by Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, whereas Maclaren solely had 52 minutes of motion in three appearances off the bench.
“We are able to’t afford to push him and danger an damage,” Vidosic mentioned of Leckie.
“We’ll see how he responds to (coaching) … and (on Saturday) we’ll have a superb chat with him and see how he feels.
“Is he prepared to start out? Is it higher for him to have a warm-up and begin? Or is it higher to deliver him on later within the sport – all these little issues we’ll resolve (on Saturday).”
Such is Metropolis’s depth, they’ll afford to present Leckie a relaxation if required.
The Melbourne staff is clearly the competitors’s benchmark outfit, having picked up 16 from a potential 18 factors earlier than the A-League went into recess for the World Cup.
Nevertheless, that was below former coach Patrick Kisnorbo, who has since left to take cost of French membership Troyes.
Vidosic, Metropolis’ technical director and beforehand the coach of the membership’s ladies’s staff, has taken on the boys’s job in an interim capability however is open to the concept of turning into the male aspect’s everlasting coach.
“That is incredible for me to return in,” he mentioned.
“Everybody right here is listening, watching coaching periods, listening to my pre-match talks … you’re being judged day by day.
“If the membership is comfortable, if the gamers are proud of what we’re doing, that can in all probability decide how the remainder of the season goes after which the longer term.”
Vidosic, a former Sydney FC assistant coach, predicted a tricky night time in opposition to a Sky Blues aspect determined to keep away from a 3rd successive A-League defeat.
Sydney proper again Rhyan Grant is assured his aspect can bounce again from the successive A-League losses it suffered earlier than the break.
“We’re wanting to get again into it, particularly after the success of the Socceroos,” Grant mentioned.
“There’s a buzz round the entire league.”
The Sydney staff might be boosted by the provision of striker Adam Le Fondre and key low season recruit Jack Rodwell, who’s poised to make his first A-League look for the Sky Blues after recovering from a groin damage.
In the meantime, Western Sydney Wanderers are chasing back-to-back A-League wins on Saturday after they meet Wellington Phoenix in Wollongong.
The Wanderers beat Sydney 1-0 the weekend earlier than the A-League break and have misplaced simply as soon as this season.
