Victory Lacking Personnel For Glory Game

The Age

Friday October 3, 2008

Michael Lynch

IT'S NOT quite a question of using the sick and the lame, but Melbourne Victory's strength in depth will be sorely tested tomorrow evening in the game against Perth Glory at Telstra Dome.

The Victory will be missing Ney Fabiano, Carlos Hernandez and Michael Theoklitos to suspension, Michael Thwaite to injury and Sebastian Ryall and Nathan Elasi to international duty.

Nick Ward, who last week said he was several weeks away from playing, is poised to make a surprise return, initially on the bench, if he passes a late fitness test.

Teenage midfielder Matthew Theodore is on standby if Ward fails to come up.

Defender Steve Pace has come in as cover for Thwaite, who has again hurt his ankle. The unlucky player is utility Steve Pantelidis, who has had no involvement with the first-team squad this season.

"Nick Ward is an option, subject to a fitness test," Victory coach Ernie Merrick said. "We are hoping he will be available for a role off the bench."

Mostly this season, the Victory has begun games with a back three and Merrick may opt to keep that but use Matthew Kemp in an unfamiliar role as a central marker alongside Rody Vargas and Kevin Muscat, giving him the option of using Evan Berger and Billy Celeski in wide roles.

"We can change mid-game. I am confident that Matthew Kemp can play as a full-back or as one of the back three. He's very quick and I think he can play either role."

Merrick scotched suggestions that the spate of red cards for his team recently indicated a lack of discipline.

"We're a very disciplined side ... perhaps too disciplined at times. When players get tackled, we don't roll around for half an hour, we get straight back up on our feet," he said.

"We don't try to milk anything, we don't dive around and I think we'll stick with that discipline, I think we do a good job."

© 2008 The Age

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