Victory’s fab five set for second showing
MELBOURNE Victory looks set to field its visa fab five for just the second time this season, with Ola Toivonen primed to return for Saturday’s Marvel Stadium Melbourne derby against City.
Pressure is mounting on Melbourne City boss Warren Joyce after last Friday’s horror loss to depleted Newcastle Jets leaves it in fifth, nine points behind Victory.
City’s woes are compounded by the absence of first-team regulars Riley McGree, Lachlan Wales and Nathaniel Atkinson, who are joining Graham Arnold’s Olyroos squad for a camp.
Keisuke Honda is pushing for a start after impressing in his impact role, coming on in the 55th minute of the draw — he scored the equaliser via the penalty spot — away to Wellington, seven minutes more than his comeback game the week before.
Victory’s visa quintet — Kosta Barbarouses is the only one who’s avoided injury — has played just seven minutes together this season, in the win away to Sydney FC in Round 5 when Toivonen scored the winner in his first start.
Toivonen will recommence running and full-scale training this week and will be moni- tored before Victory coach Kevin Muscat decides on whether to start or unleash him from the bench — if he’s passed fit.
The Swedish sharpshooter has missed three games, but with German defender Georg Niedermeier’s progress mirroring Honda’s and Spaniard Raul Baena playing his second straight 90-minute match, Muscat was thrilled with the players’ progress.
“We got some more minutes into Keisuke and Georg, got some minutes into Donachie, Raul played another 90 minutes. So we’re not in a good space if you understand what I mean, but we’re heading into that area,” Muscat said.
“He (Toivonen) got a knock three weeks ago, it was a cork so it was treated — the knock to his thigh, he was trying to get up for the game three days later.
“The blood calcifies in his quad so basically you can’t move, you can’t run because you haven’t got full range because the blood’s calcified. Is he going to be right for next weekend? I hope so, but we treat him as he presents every day.”
Joyce is struggling for first XI continuity with his January signings, attackers Jamie Maclaren and Shayon Harrison completing just their second games as the Olyroos depart.
He admitted the team’s inconsistent results were frustrating.
“There’s no easy games in this league — our worst results have come against teams that might not be that high in the league. We’ve done alright against some of the higher teams,” Joyce said.
“The only thing you’re concerned with is looking at the next game and winning it, we’ve got to bounce back.”