Melbourne Victory will be without new captain Josh Brillante for their A-League Men season opener against Western United after the midfielder failed to prove his fitness following a hamstring issue.
Victory confirmed Brillante had picked up a hamstring niggle late in the week, and, after a fitness test on Saturday morning, the club opted not to risk the 28-year-old for the evening match at GMHBA Stadium.
Eight of Victory’s starting XI are new recruits, with gun forward Chris Ikonomidis and fellow Socceroo Jason Davidson among the seven making their club debuts.
Forwards Marco Rojas and Robbie Kruse were both named on the bench.
Western United named the same starting line-up that beat Newcastle in their FFA Cup play-off, with five new recruits, including Swiss defender Leo Lacroix, featuring.
It is Victory coach Tony Popovic’s first competitive game at the helm, while Western United counterpart John Aloisi will coach his first A-League Men game for his new club.
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
