Sydney FC defender Michael Zullo said he’s pleased to be back as he prepares for Wednesday night’s Westfield FFA Cup Semi-Final against South Melbourne at Lakeside Stadium (kick off 7:30pm AEDT).
Head Coach Graham Arnold confirmed Zullo would return from a hamstring injury for Wednesday’s clash, and the left back has set his sights on returning to the fitness that saw him become an integral member of the Sky Blues historic double winning team in 2016/17.
“It feels like it’s been longer than 10 days, it can drag on when you’re injured, but I’m happy to be back in the squad and I’m looking to a good performance from myself and the team on Wednesday night,” Zullo said.
“Everything is good, I’m confident from this point on I can stay fit and be as fit as I was last season and get some good rhythm into my body.
“I just want to return to the squad and play the game I’m used to, link up well with Ninko on the left and get forward as much as I can.
“I thought all the boys did really well [on Saturday], I thought Luke Wilkshire played really well on the left on Saturday and now I’ve got to come into the team and do my job again.”
Zullo said the Sky Blues would be looking for the complete 90 minute performance as they come up against a team with a rich history in Australian football.
“We’ve done a bit of analysis on South Melbourne, there’s a reason they got this far and we’re going to take them really seriously and treat them with the respect they deserve,” he said.
“We’re going out to win the game, reach the final and win a trophy that the club has never won before.
“It’s a Semi-Final of a cup so you can’t take it for granted,” he continued.
“You’ve got to go in there 100% focussed and they’re going to be up for it so we’re going to come out of the blocks really strong and boss the game first minute.”
Sydney FC take on South Melbourne at Lakeside Stadium on Wednesday 11 October (kick off 7:30pm AEDT). Catch the match live on Fox Sports or follow @SydneyFC on Twitter for updates.
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