Aurelio Vidmar has confirmed his squad for Saturday night’s blockbuster Christmas Derby, with Melbourne City set to return to AAMI Park full of confidence ahead of the annual showdown.
City enters the clash unbeaten in four games across all competitions, buoyed by a demanding but productive recent road trip that took in both domestic and continental action.
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With no Isuzu UTE A-League fixture last weekend following the squad’s late return from South Korea on Friday afternoon, Vidmar’s side has welcomed a slightly longer break between games after an intense run of travel and quick turnarounds.
That two-game road trip began in Newcastle, where City claimed a valuable 1-0 league victory thanks to Kavian Rahmani’s composed 27th-minute finish, set up by a classy assist from Andreas Kuen.
A few days later, in vastly different conditions in Seoul, Rahmani again played a decisive role, this time providing the assist for Takeshi Kanamori’s second-half equaliser as City fought back to earn a crucial point against FC Seoul in the AFC Champions League Elite.
There is positive news on the selection front ahead of the Derby, with City regaining a key duo at opposite ends of the experience spectrum. Young defender Besian Kutleshi returns to the squad after overcoming a minor ankle issue, having put together a solid body of work on the training pitch in recent days.
The defensive talent is joined by experienced attacker Andrew Nabbout, who has been cleared after completing concussion protocols following his absence from the last two fixtures, adding further leadership and firepower to Vidmar’s options.
Beckham Baker has also been promoted to the extended squad for Saturday night, while Ben Mazzeo has been ruled out with a minor quad niggle that is expected to sideline the 20-year-old for a short period.
Samuel Souprayen will spend another match on the sidelines as he continues his recovery from an Achilles issue, though the experienced defender has returned to training and is tracking well, with a potential return pencilled in for next week as fixtures against Macarthur and Perth Glory come quickly after the Derby.
With momentum building and key reinforcements returning, City will look to carry our strong recent form into a packed AAMI Park on Saturday night as the Christmas Derby takes centre stage.
Round 9 ALM Squad
1. Patrick BEACH (GK), 4. Liam BONETIG, 10. Takeshi KANAMORI, 11. Elbasan RASHANI, 13. Nathaniel ATKINSON, 15. Andrew NABBOUT, 16. Aziz BEHICH (C), 17. Max CAPUTO, 19. Zane SCHREIBER, 22. Germán FERREYRA, 27. Kai TREWIN, 30. Andreas KUEN, 33. Dakota OCHSENHAM (GK), 35. Medin MEMETI, 36. Harry SHILLINGTON, 37. Peter ANTONIOU, 38. Beckham BAKER, 39. Emin DURAKOVIC, 44. Besian KUTLESHI, 47. Kavian RAHMANI.
In: 15. Andrew NABBOUT (returns from injury), 38. Beckham BAKER (promoted), 44. Besian KUTLESHI (returns from injury).
Out: 20. Ben MAZZEO (quad).
Unavailable: 7. Mathew LECKIE (hip), 21. Alessandro LOPANE (ankle), 26. Samuel SOUPRAYEN (Achilles), 40. James NIEUWENHUIZEN (ACL), 41. Lawrence WONG (MCL).
