Tony Popovic has named his squad for Friday’s Hyundai A-League Elimination Final against Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium.
Nine players return to the side after being rested in last week’s 2-2 draw in Adelaide: Jack Clisby, Mitch Nichols, Brendon Santalab, Scott Neville, Jumpei Kusukami, Jaushua Sotirio, Jonathan Aspropotamitis, Lachlan Scott and Terry Antonis.
Aritz Borda, Mario Shabow, Jackson Bandiera, Stefan Zinni, Ryan Griffiths, Keanu Baccus and Abraham Majok all drop out.
The Wanderers have met Brisbane in each of their three previous finals appearance, with Friday marking the fourth occasion.
Of those three matches, the Wanderers have won twice—2-0 in the 2012/13 Semi Final and 5-4 in last season’s epic Semi Final—while the Roar’s victory came in the Grand Final of the 2013/14 season.
The Roar head into the match unbeaten against the Wanderers this season, after their 2-1 win in Round 17 and the 1-1 draws of Round 8 and Round 12.
The Wanderers however come into the finals as one of the competition’s form sides, having gone unbeaten in their last six Hyundai A-League matches.
Brisbane Roar vs Western Sydney Wanderers
Friday 21 April, 7:50pm
Suncorp Stadium
TV: Live coverage on Fox Sports 505, one-hour delay on SBS VICELAND
Radio: ABC Grandstand, Hawkesbury Radio
Online: Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #BRIvWSW #ALFinals
Western Sydney Wanderers FC squad: 1.Jerrad TYSON (gk), 2.Shannon COLE, 3.Jack CLISBY, 5.Brendan HAMILL, 6.Mitch NICHOLS, 7.Steven LUSTICA, 8.DIMAS (c), 10.Nicolás MARTÍNEZ, 11.Brendon SANTALAB, 12.Scott NEVILLE, 14.Jumpei KUSUKAMI, 15.Kearyn BACCUS, 16.Jaushua SOTIRIO, 18.Robert CORNTHWAITE, 20.Vedran JANJETOVIC (gk), 22.Jonathan ASPROPOTAMITIS, 23.Lachlan SCOTT, 24.Terry ANTONIS **two to be omitted**
Ins: 3.Jack CLISBY, 6.Mitch NICHOLS, 11.Brendon SANTALAB, 12.Scott NEVILLE, 14.Jumpei KUSUKAMI, 16.Jaushua SOTIRIO, 22.Jonathan ASPROPOTAMITIS, 23.Lachlan SCOTT, 24.Terry ANTONIS (all promoted)
Outs: 17.Aritz BORDA, 21.Mario SHABOW, 26.Jackson BANDIERA, 28.Stefan ZINNI, 29.Ryan GRIFFITHS, 42.Keanu BACCUS, 49.Abraham MAJOK (all not selected)
Unavailable: 19.Jacob MELLING (back – indefinite)
