Some of the Newcastle Jets' very best are in doubt for next Saturday's A-League pre-season match at Apex Oval, with injuries and FFA Cup commitments the current focus for the club.
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The Jets have advanced to the final eight of the FFA Cup, a knockout-style competition contested by clubs across the country, for the first time and will take on Adelaide United in the quarter-finals on Tuesday night.
How that match pans out and how the club's top players recover will play a major role in what the side which plays at Dubbo looks like.
The club is currently dealing with a number of injury concerns in the build-up to the Adelaide game, with plenty of players also in doubt for the pre-season hit-out against Sydney FC.
The potentially biggest blow came late last week when new recruit and Abdiel Arroyo rolled an ankle at training.
The pace and skill of the Ecuadorian has many excited about what he can achieve this season and while his absence would come as a huge blow for the Jets before the clash with Adelaide, it would also be unfortunate for Dubbo fans eager to see the best do battle in their own backyard.
"He was turning quickly in the box at speed and seems to have jarred his ankle," coach Ernie Merrick said of the injury.
"It is difficult to say how bad it is ... but we feel as though we have the numbers covered for the FFA Cup game in Adelaide."
Experienced midfielder Ben Kantarovski also failed to complete the training session but is expected to be available for the FFA Cup game and the trip to Dubbo.
Jets captain Nigel Boogard is making progress in his return from off-season knee surgery and while he won't feature against Adeliade he could get his first minutes of the campaign at Dubbo.
Another who could get a run-out at Apex Oval is veteran defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley, who's been recently sidelined with a calf strain.
If the former Socceroo was to miss Tuesday night's game it would mark the first time he's failed to feature in a competitive game for two seasons.
"That is up to the coaching staff," he said ahead of Tuesday's game.
"All I can do is train and train hard. It's one step at a time trying to get through training and get back to some sort of fitness. That is my focus. I have had a couple of full training sessions back. To get full fitness, you have to get games and games in succession.
"I may not get there until the season. It is a long season. Injuries are part of the game. I have had a fairly good run. To pick it up was disappointing, but you just have to deal with it."
Regardless of who does line up at Dubbo, the match will still feature the type of elite talent not seen in Dubbo for some time.
The day will also provide a huge thrill for juniors in the Dubbo competition, as more than 50 players will be drawn from 10 different local clubs to have a chance to run out at half-time, and play on the same field as their biggest stars.
It won't just be those player from the under 6s competition which get to take part in the fun, as both the Jets and Sydney FC players will be making appearances at a number of locations around the city in the lead-up to the game.
Kick-off in the pre-season game at Dubbo is 3pm, Saturday.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
