As the countdown to the 32nd installment of the Sydney Derby continues, both clubs made their manager and a player available for a media day at Allianz Stadium.
No prizes for guessing that it was Milos Ninkovic representing Western Sydney Wanderers.
The Serbian crossed the city over the off-season after a contractual dispute with the club he made himself a legend at, and will don the red and black in a derby for the first time on Saturday evening in front of an inhospitable home crowd.
“Yes, I am expecting that (booing from The Cove),” Ninkovic said on Thursday.
Running out on to the Allianz Stadium turf will be a bittersweet experience for Ninkovic, who spent so many years and had so much success at Moore Park.
“This stadium, it’s one of my favourites,” the midfielder said. “I’ve had so many great memories here, and I’m really looking forward to playing here again. But now I play for the Wanderers. I’m going to do everything I can to help my teammates and get a good result.”
Marko Rudan explained that his side have been working hard on the training pitch, desperate for a bounce back after a night to forget at CommBank Stadium, going down 3-0 to Central Coast Mariners.
“Definitely (there’s been a shift in intensity), but that’s probably because of last week,” the Wanderers manager said.
“We had a good chat about last week’s performance. We certainly want to change the mentality around the football club, and get back to what we represent. We’ve got an identity that’s pretty clear: we represent the West.”
When asked about his ex-teammate, Brattan was complimentary.
“You want to play with the best players, and (Ninkovic) is one of the best players ever to play in the A-League. But like (Corica) said, he’s on the other team now, and I’m personally going to do everything I can to not let him do what he does,” Brattan said.
“As a team, we’re well aware that it’s not just him. They’re dangerous all over the park. We know their weaknesses, and we’re going to look to exploit them.”
Making the opposite move to Ninkovic over the off-season was, of course, Jack Rodwell. The Englishman has struggled for fitness in the opening weeks of 2022-23, and Corica had an update on the centre-half, as well as some other team news.
“Jack’s not (fit for Saturday),” Corica said.
“Joe (Lolley) is fully fit again. He was a little bit sick last week (against Brisbane Roar) – that’s why he was on the bench. He’s trained all week and he’s ready to go.
“There’s a very good chance Adam Le Fondre and James Donachie could be back in the side as well, so we’ll wait and see.”
It’s shaping up to be a fantastic occasion for both clubs and the whole league on Saturday. Clear weather is predicted, and officials are expecting a crowd north of 35,000 for the first derby at the rebuilt Allianz Stadium.
Make sure you head to Kick360 for all the reaction after the final whistle blows.
Image credit: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
