One top Sydney FC player is set to be absent for the clash against Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham.
Wrexham continue their Australian pre-season tour on Tuesday as they face Sydney FC.
The Red Dragons have played one game so far, whilst Down Under, after Wrexham beat Melbourne Victory at the Marvel Stadium.
There was plenty to shout about for Wrexham, with Ryan Hardie bagging his first goal for the club, whilst Ryan Longman put in a top performance as well.
It looked set to be more of a challenge awaiting Wrexham in the clash with Sydney FC, but the Australian outfit will be without one key player for the tie.
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Wrexham set to face Sydney FC without Brazil star Douglas Costa
When previewing the upcoming fixture with Sydney FC, it was clear that Wrexham would have to be wary of Douglas Costa due to the extensive experience he has notched during his career.
Costa is in the back-end of his career, but having played for Bayern Munich and Juventus, as well as being a Brazil regular alongside the likes of Neymar Jr, he looked set to cause Phil Parkinson’s side serious problems.
However, it has now been confirmed that he is likely to be absent for the tie against Wrexham, as Sydney FC head coach Ufuk Talay said that he won’t feature.
“We’ve given him some extra time,” said Talay when speaking to the media. “He needs to sort out some personal stuff back in Brazil.
“Once he sorts that out he’ll be back here with us.”
Costa has been a prevalent member of the Sydney FC squad for the past two seasons, so the Sky Blues will sorely miss their prized Brazilian star.
Sydney FC have one ace up their sleeve despite Douglas Costa’s absence
Parkinson likely has mixed emotions upon learning of Douglas Costa’s absence. Whilst he would have been a key player for Sydney FC that would provide a stern task for the Wrexham backline, it would have provided a good opportunity for the Red Dragons to face a former Champions League and World Cup regular.
Nonetheless, Wrexham will still face some top players for Sydney FC, albeit not on the same calibre of Costa.
Joe Lolley, former Nottingham Forest star, currently plies his trade for Sydney FC, and he will likely start for the Sky Blues on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old managed to notch 16 goal contributions for Sydney last season in just 24 league appearances – a sign that the former Premier League man still possesses bags of talent, something that Parkinson will need to keep an eye on.