Melbourne Heart will be without Fred for the clash against the Wanderers on Friday. Picture: Getty Images Source: The Daily Telegraph
MELBOURNE Heart could be decimated for its trip to Western Sydney on Friday with three players under an injury cloud after Sunday's 1-0 loss to Central Coast.
Heart could have as few as 14 senior players to choose from with Fred (hamstring), Dylan Macallister (ribs) and Matt Thompson (corked thigh) to face fitness tests this week after succumbing to injury.
And teens Ben Garuccio and David Vrankovic will miss at least a fortnight, departing today for the Young Socceroos' AFC under-19 qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates.
Garuccio, 17, played 90 minutes on debut while Vrankovic has featured in all four games thus far for Heart.
"We will be stretched next week, but it happens during the year and that's why we said that every player in the squad is important,'' Heart coach John Aloisi said.
"We'll have to see how they pull up over the week, we've got a short turnaround so they might struggle for Friday.
"We'll see how they pull up but it doesn't look good when they have to come off during the game and there's a game five days later but it gives someone else an opportunity to come into the team.
"Fred will get scans on his hamstring, Dylan was struggling to move because of his ribs and Thommo got his corkie.''
Aloisi was again lamenting his team's inability to score, though he was again pleased with the performance.
"In terms of results, we've lost the last two but performance, they made it difficult for us because they came and sat off and didn't conceded too many chances,'' he said. "But we still created three great openings and we conceded a goal which was a worldy (world class).
"They're a good side and well organised that's why they were top of the table last year. Disappointed we didn't get anything out of it because we deserved something.''
Mariners coach Graham Arnold said points and not performance is important early in the A-League season.
"That's three clean sheets in four games, we just have to work hard on our attacking shape,'' Arnold said. "Both teams looked a bit rusty, and it took a nice free kick to get us the points but we work hard on our defensive structure and I was happy with that.''
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