Victory up for Wanderers A-League fight

Nov 5, 2017 - 12:08 AM Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat admits there is a level of the unknown about the Western Sydney Wanderers ahead of Monday night's A-League clash.

But what the Wanderers dish up at Etihad Stadium isn't nearly as important as what his depleted side can muster as they look for their first win of the season.

Western Sydney are unbeaten after four rounds under caretaker coach Hayden Foxe, but Muscat is unsure what impact Josep Gombau has had on the side since his appointment as coach was announced this week.

Foxe will guide the team for the last time against the seventh-placed Victory, but Gombau's influence could make them a different proposition than they have been over the season's opening month.

"Will things be any different with Josep in the shadows? How much influence (has he had)? That's not really my concern," Muscat told reporters on Sunday.

"I've got no doubt that in some capacity (he has), but to what capacity? I don't know and it's not the main concern at all.

"This week has been about making sure that we're worrying about ourselves and that we've prepared ourselves to stamp our authority on the game.

"We're at home and that's the aim. We'll go out there with a real fresh mentality with an opportunity to win three points."

Victory will be without Kosta Barbarouses, James Troisi and Christian Theoharous, who are all away on international duty.

But the Socceroos' loss is Victory's gain with midfielder Mark Milligan unable to travel for the World Cup qualifier against Honduras after he picked up a yellow card against Syria.

The second international break has come at an inopportune time for Muscat, but he is adamant the disruption shouldn't be a huge factor as his squad looks for a more consistent performance.

"I don't like talking about it ... but in the whole context of things the continuity of players playing with each other, playing in the same position, naturally it does have some effect," he said.

"But I'm not going to allow that (thinking) to creep in. We've got 11 players who will go out with a real positive mindset.

"We want to perform better for longer, we're no different to anyone else from that perspective, but hard work is what is going to make things a little bit easier on us."

Source: AAP