Squads Named for Men's A-League Derby
The Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC have announced provisional squads ahead of their men's A-League derby at Sky Stadium on Saturday. This match is part of a double header featuring both women's and men's A-League games.
Injury Updates
Both teams are coping with key player injuries before the game:
- Wellington Phoenix will miss All Whites defender Tim Paine due to a broken collarbone, defender Manrekar James with a quad strain, and winger Hideki Ishige because of a knee injury.
- Lebanon international winger Ramy Najjarine will return to the Phoenix roster.
- Auckland FC captain Hiroki Sakai is expected to be out for six weeks after a hamstring injury sustained during last weekend’s 2-1 win over Adelaide United.
- All Whites centre back Nando Pijnaker is likely to be available after recovering from ankle surgery over the off-season. He recently played half a game for Auckland FC’s reserves.
Match Venue
Sky Stadium will host both the women’s and men’s A-League matches on Saturday.
"Pijnaker played half a game for Auckland FC’s reserves last weekend."
Wellington Phoenix Squad Notes
The Phoenix squad has two players to be omitted before the match.
Both teams are preparing carefully, managing injuries and lineup decisions to compete strongly in this much-anticipated derby.
Summary: The Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC are finalizing their squads and managing injuries ahead of their exciting A-League derby at Sky Stadium, with key players returning and sidelined.