Sydney FC Head Coach Graham Arnold confirmed that Rhyan Grant is in contention to start his first match in over a year when the Sky Blues travel to Pirtek Stadium on Saturday (kick off 7:30pm).
With Milos Dimitrijevic suspended, Arnold has a selection headache in midfield however he hinted that Rhyan Grant may make his first start against the team he made his previous start against last season.
“Our preparations have gone well, we’ve got everyone healthy and fit, we’ve got a full quota to choose from,” he said.
“Rhyan Grant is a possibility of playing there, he came on and played there [in midfield] against Melbourne City.
“Rhyan has had two games for the youth team and he came on for us against Melbourne City for the last 20 minutes and did very well so he’s come a long way.
“He’s been out for a year with his ACL but he’s fit, he’s lost a lot of weight and he’s ready to go, but we have options and we’re still 48 hours out from the game and I’ll take until after training tomorrow to decide.”
While the atmosphere is always fever pitch for a derby, Arnold says he’s not intimidated by the fans and is looking forward to playing in front of sell-out crowd but is wary of the stern challenge that awaits his undefeated Sydney FC.
“I’m expecting normal hospitality,” he said.
“They’re always the same, very passionate supporters but for me it’s not an intimidating place to go. For me it’s a beautiful little football stadium and it’s a great venue to play at and the atmosphere will be fantastic.
“We’re expecting a real tough game, no doubt,” he continued.
“The Wanderers have had two crowds of 14,000 in their first two games and this one will be the first time they’ve had a sell-out of 18,000 and we’re looking forward to the occasion.
“They’re a good side, where they are on the table is false, we know that and we have to be ready to play against a team that’s very well coached.”
Sydney FC will contest the second Sydney Derby of the season at Pirtek Stadium on Saturday night (kick off 7:30pm). Follow @SydneyFC on Twitter for match updates or catch the match live on Fox Sports 4.
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