Richard Windbichler will be available for Melbourne City’s first game back against Sydney FC, while a hip-injury hangs over Curtis Good.
Windbichler was ruled out of City’s finals campaign due to a recurring hamstring injury prior to the league’s temporary suspension, but the Austrian defender has since recovered and is in top physical shape, according to head coach Erick Mombaerts.
Windbichler has only made the three league appearances since joining the club and will be a handy inclusion as City searches for its maiden A-League title.
”He’s been training everyday, he was injured for a long time but now physically he’s at a top level and is ready to play,’’ Mombaerts said.
”He has played all the practice games that we have organised so he is ready to be in the team. It’s good news because now Curtis [Good] is injured and Rostyn [Griffiths] is away so we don’t have too many options.
”It’s very good news for us and good news for him.’’
Meanwhile, defensive midfielder Rostyn Griffiths will fly up on Wednesday afternoon and will spend two-weeks in quarantine, while Good will need to prove his fitness after suffering a hip-strain but has returned to full training.
The club will be without Spanish import Markel Susaeta, who returned to Spain last week after ten appearances for Melbourne City.
”Markel was a really good player and a really good person but in this period it’s not easy especially for foreigners,” Mombaerts said.
”Now we have to adapt, we have a few solutions. We have [Lachlan] Wales and [Stefan] Colakovski so we need to find a solution and we will find it in our young players.’’
Melbourne City sits 11 points behind league-leaders Sydney, whom they meet on August 1, with the Sky Blues only needing a point to wrap up this season’s premiership.
Featured Image – Melbourne City FC
