Melbourne Victory coach Grant Brebner says his players and staff are ready for the sacrifice of spending Christmas in quarantine on the off chance that it implies they have transformed the Asian Champions League.
Victory withdraw from the Doha hub next Thursday and have four group-stage games left to play – two against Beijing Guoan and one each against FC Seoul and Chiangrai United.
Brebner’s team have three points added to their belt after two games could in any case be in the mix to escape group E and into the round of 16.
On the off chance that Victory arrive at the quarter-finals or further, their ensuing hotel quarantine period back in Australia is probably going to reach out through Christmas – yet after a dismal 2019-20 A-League season, Brebner said the traditional powerhouse was more focused on returning to winning ways.
“It’s going to be tough but I have spoken to the players about it – it’s not something we’re shirking away from,” Brebner said.
“I want to win football games and so do the players. We’ve had enough last year of not winning enough games.
“We’re going to the competition. We want to win games, and if it means that we’re in a hotel over Christmas and New Year, it means we’re doing really well.
“That’s the price we’ll pay, but I think it’s worth it if we do well in this competition.”
Brebner said an independent assessment had given the players and staff the confirmations they expected to feel great about going to Qatar, and Victory were presently “full steam ahead”.
Socceroos winger Robbie Kruse won’t travel as he proceeds with his recovery from the knee surgery that prematurely finished his A-League season yet in any case Victory have near a full squad to look over.
Between their squad change and Melbourne’s COVID-19 limitations, Victory have scarcely kicked a ball out of frustration in front of their ACL campaign – and Brebner hailed substantial turn all through the dense timetable.
“It’s absolutely going to be tough,” he said.
“But it will be a fantastic opportunity to play a pre-season in a competition that means something, and get as much as we can out of it with a view to coming back here and starting our A-League campaign.”
In the interim, Sydney FC’s ACL trusts gotten a lift on Friday with the news that striker Marko Arnautovic is probably going to miss his club side Shanghai SIPG’s gathering stage game against the Sky Blues on November 19 subsequent to connecting up with Austria for worldwide obligation.
The previous West Ham United forward traveled to Europe on Thursday in front of games against Northern Ireland and Norway one week from now.
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