Corica cleared for Sydney comeback but groin injury cuts down Kisel
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday November 27, 2009
EVERGREEN Sydney FC captain Steve Corica will make his return from injury against Newcastle on Sunday but the club has been hit with a fresh concern over fellow midfielder Karol Kisel, who will miss the game with a groin problem.The 32-year old has been ruled out of the match after picking up the injury last weekend, leaving coach Vitezslav Lavicka needing to tweak his preferred first XI yet again.A club source confirmed Kisel strained his groin in the second half of the 2-0 loss against Perth but had to play on as Lavicka had already made his three substitutions. However, the club's medical staff are confident the Slovakian's injury will only sideline him for the next match.The Sky Blues are still firmly in the hunt for top spot but after losing their past two matches, and with Gold Coast and Central Coast breathing down their necks, they need to rediscover form quickly or risk falling out of the top two.The return of Corica should add the leadership that was visibly missing in the front third last week, but while his entry is automatic, Kisel's replacement is not so clear cut.After completing his duties with the national under-19 side in Indonesia, Rhyan Grant is favoured to slot straight into the starting XI on the right side of Sydney's diamond but Brendan Gan, who started in Corica's absence last week, is also a chance to play.Newcastle coach Branko Culina has his own set of problems to worry about with Fabio Vignaroli given the week off after picking up his fourth yellow card of the season, automatically earning the Italian playmaker a one-match ban.The Jets are spoilt for choice in terms of creative midfielders, including Kaz Patafta and Song Jin-hyung, but Culina has decided to keep his options open by recalling strike pair Donny de Groot and Jason Hoffman to an extended squad. Forgotten Iraqi midfielder Ali Abbas could also find himself in the mix at some point if he survives Culina's final cut on Sunday morning.Meanwhile, young Newcastle striker Marko Jesic has been ruled out for the rest of the season as he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery, paving the way for Labinot Haliti to retain his place as an injury replacement player.While the highly talented Jesic has been beset by bad luck since bursting on to the scene last year, Haliti has been highly impressive since returning to the Jets after a spell abroad, leading the club to recently sign him on a two-year deal."Marko is now able to dedicate his time to his rehabilitation without being concerned about deadlines and so forth," Newcastle chief executive John Tsatsimas said. "He will return to the squad next year with our full backing, and I'm sure I speak for everyone involved with the club that we look forward to seeing him back on the pitch next season."Elsewhere, Melbourne coach Ernie Merrick wants his players to ignore Gold Coast's personnel woes going into their clash tomorrow night, AAP reports.Facing a team that will be without nine of their top 22 for the Etihad Stadium clash, the Victory's emphasis will be on mastering their own game.The third-placed Gold Coast will have six players missing through injury and three suspended. But Merrick is wary of a side that pushed them in a controversial 3-2 win earlier this season."What we've really done is focused on playing our best football against a really tough opponent and playing to our strengths, defensively and offensively," he said.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald