While Perth Glory splashed the cash to bolster their squad during the off-season, the A-League club will have to wait a few more weeks before being able to showcase their new-look side.
The Glory enter Friday night’s friendly against Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium missing a host of star players.
Socceroos Mile Sterjovski and Jacob Burns aren’t expected to join the squad for another three weeks, while overseas recruits Andy Todd and Branko Jelic are also several weeks away.
Skipper Jamie Coyne (groin), youngster Scott Neville (groin) and Dutchman Victor Sikora (knee) are nursing injuries and won’t make the trip to Adelaide, but goalkeeper Tando Velaphi has recovered from his hamstring strain and will start in goal.
While the match against Adelaide will be a low-key affair, Glory coach Dave Mitchell said he expected to have close to a full squad available for the upcoming fixtures against English Premier League sides Wolverhampton (July 10) and Fulham (July 15).
Glory midfielder Adriano Pellegrino said the late arrival of the club’s big-name recruits would not be an issue.
“I guess any side has to deal with that,” Pellegrino said.
“We had to deal with it last season with Amaral and when a few of the other boys came later on with only six or seven weeks left in the season.
“But those boys are experienced boys and they’ll guide us in the right way and with our coaching staff behind us everything will fall into line very well.”
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