Sydney FC have received a Big Blue boost with Robert Mak to return from injury for this Friday’s Australia Day match.
Mak suffered a groin injury in the Brisbane Roar clash, which saw him sidelined for three weeks.
Sydney FC Head Coach Talay explained that he would be fit enough to come off the bench if the Sky Blues needed him.
“Robbie [Mak] will be back,” he said.
“He did some modified training with the group, and he’ll do some training this morning, and possibly we may have him on the bench.
“He may come on in the last 15-30 minutes.”
In the last Big Blue match, Sydney FC lost 3-0, but Talay believes that his team has gone from strength to strength after four wins in five games.
If Sydney FC manage to win, they would close the gap to four points between themselves and Victory who are in joint first place, and Talay stressed that the team won’t want a third straight defeat to their rivals.
“We’ve given up six points this season, and we don’t want to do that on Friday again,” he continued.
“We lost 3-0, but the performance wasn’t bad. It’s very important that we don’t give the ball away and allow them to transition because they are a team that transitions pretty well.
“They get up the park quickly, they do defend well, very compact.
“The team has changed. We’ve come a long way since then. We’ll try to play through, around and on top of them to create those moments.
With the possibility of Mak returning and the gravity of the Australia Day Big Blue derby, he said his players need to have a composed and winning mindset in the heat of battle.
“Culturally, the mentality of every game is to win, and the rivalry makes the game a lot bigger and a fantastic occasion for these players to be involved in.
“If you know me, I don’t like losing at all. We want to win games, and I think we have the players in this team who have the desire to win games for this club.
“For us, it’s a big occasion and a great spectacle for the fans.”
Match Details:
Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC
Izuzu UTE A-League Round 14
Friday 26th January, 2024
AAMI Park, Melbourne, VIC
Kick Off: 7:45PM
Gates Open: 4:00PM
Broadcast Live: Paramount+, 10Play
Tickets: Click Here
