Brisbane captain Tom Aldred will return from injury in a key defensive boost for the Roar ahead of Friday’s A-League clash with in-form Macarthur FC.
Aldred was a late omission for last weekend’s draw with Western Sydney, having picked up a niggle in the team’s Good Friday training session.
The Roar will also welcome back fellow English defender Macaulay Gillesphey after he missed the Wanderers match due to suspension.
With experienced Scott Neville pushing to make a start after coming off the bench last Saturday, Roar coach Warren Moon has plenty of defensive options at his disposal against a Bulls team on a three-game winning streak.
“Things looking quite good for us at the moment but what we learned from last week is we had two capable replacements in Jordan (Courtney-Perkins) and Kai (Trewin) coming in who did very well,” Moon told AAP.
There was also positive news for defender Jack Hingert, with scans showing the knee injury he suffered late in the Wanderers match wasn’t as bad as initially feared.
The 30-year-old won’t play against Macarthur but Moon said he is expected to return at some point this season.
The 1-1 draw with Western Sydney extended Brisbane’s winless run to eight matches and Moon admits results need to turn for his team soon if they are to avoid losing touch with the top six.
“We want to play finals and at some point we need to start winning games, turn these draws into wins,” he said.
“There is still time and the A-League can can turn quickly. Even if it doesn’t happen in the next couple, there’s still time. That’s the belief we have.”
Macarthur, who recorded a 2-0 win when the teams met in February, have risen to third after their good recent form but coach Ante Milicic is far from satisfied.
“We wanted to be the new team in the league that’s competitive and I believe we’ve done that,” Milicic said.
“It’s been a good few weeks for us, but we need to build on that platform if we want to continue picking up results.”
KEY MATCH STATS
* After failing to win any of their first four matches at home, Macarthur have won their past three at Campbelltown Stadium.
* Brisbane haven’t scored more than one goal in a game in their past eight matches, drawing five and losing three of those fixtures.
* Veteran English striker Matt Derbyshire has scored 10 goals in his debut A-League campaign for Macarthur, including a late strike in a 2-0 win over Brisbane in February.