City coach’s ‘difficult’ selection dilemma

Melbourne City coach Patrick Kisnorbo has voiced his frustrations over the predicament that could see his A-League title challenging squad ravaged with absentees for the competition’s finals series.

With the Socceroos going into a Kuwait hub to complete their first phase of World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022 and the Olyroos set to go into a camp in order to prepare for Tokyo – both clashing with the A-League finals – Melbourne City’s squad are set to be the hardest hit.

The competition’s leading scorer Jamie Maclaren is a lock for Socceroos selection while winger Andrew Nabbout and star centre-back Curtis Good could join him in that squad.

Goalkeeper Tom Glover, meanwhile, is the Olyroos’ number one, central midfielder Connor Metcalfe is a near certainty for the Olympics, while full-back Nathaniel Atkinson is a likely selection as well.

It could rob Kisnorbo of six first team players come finals.

Their one-point lead at the top of the table and form-line of nine wins in eleven games may help secure the Premiers Plate for their first A-League trophy but the squad is set to be decimated when the finals start.

Kisnorbo has a dilemma on his hands.Source:Getty Images

Kisnorbo’s frustrations aren’t levelled at Graham Arnold’s selections however, rather the Australian set-up.

“He’s the national team coach, he needs to do what he needs to do but I think it goes beyond Graham Arnold,” Kisnorbo said.

“We’re the only competition that plays in a FIFA window so it’s a deeper thing than the national team coaches’ selection of players.”

Kisnorbo hasn’t ruled out signing players to fill the void come finals but has outlined the challenges in doing so.

“It’s difficult because there’s so many aspects that need to happen. You need players to be free, players to be fit. It’s a difficult situation that we might get put in. I’ll deal with it more as it goes but at the end of the day what can I do, I can’t do anything,” he said.

One player that is available is former Socceroos striker Scott McDonald who surprisingly departed the Brisbane Roar during the week.

He had been linked with a move to City to compensate for the Maclaren absence but Kisnorbo was quick to shut down those links.

“Scotty is a good friend of mine. We haven’t spoken about him joining the club but I wish him well in his new adventure.”

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