Busy Sydney FC break training for Roar
Nov 24, 2017 - 3:21 AM Sydney FC have taken their preparations away from the soccer field to combat burn-out for Saturday's A-League clash with Brisbane.The Sky Blues beat Adelaide 2-1 over 120 minutes in Tuesday night's FFA Cup final, four days before grinding out a tough league win over second-placed Newcastle.
Sydney coach Graham Arnold said mental conditioning has been the focus of preparations for an eighth-place Roar side on a four-game undefeated streak.
He even afforded the squad a day off training to hit the beach ahead of the Allianz Stadium clash.
"It was a matter of getting away from Macquarie (University training base) for a day and freshening up," Arnold told reporters on Friday.
"We've done a lot of work this week on the subconscious mind, getting the right words in there and getting right things into their mind and they'll be ready for tomorrow night."
An injury cloud hovers over star Sydney midfielder Milos Ninkovic after his 62nd-minute substitution on Tuesday with a calf complaint.
He's been named to play, but Roar coach John Aloisi expected his absence.
"We've planned for if he does play or if he doesn't play," Aloisi said.
"Sydney will still play to their structures and their system and their way of playing, it's just the personnel's a bit different.
"Whoever comes in for him I'm sure will do a good job because I'm pretty sure he won't play. If you're coming off with a calf injury it's very hard to back up three or four days later."
The Roar, who beat Melbourne City last week before three straight draws, are set to be buoyed by the selection of Ivan Franjic on the bench for the former Socceroos defender's first game for the club since leaving in 2014.
Both coaches have been heavily linked to the Socceroos coaching job vacated by Ange Postecoglou this week but denied their focus was anywhere other than this weekend.
"I have a huge amount of respect for my players," Arnold said.
"It's the wrong thing for me to do, to go talking about other things when I'm just solely focused on helping my boys win tomorrow night."
STATS THAT MATTER
* Brisbane are winless in their last six away games (two draws, four losses), last winning on the road in March against Newcastle.
* Sydney FC have not been beaten in their last 19 matches at Allianz Stadium, winning 16 of them.
* The Roar have had the better of the sides' past five encounters, winning twice with two draws.
Source: AAP
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