He’s vowed to fight to the death but Graham Arnold must attempt to revive Sydney FC’s near-terminal Asian Champions League campaign without key stars.
Wednesday was another tough night in the office for the Sky Blues, whose 2-0 loss to a second-string Kashima Antlers has left their continental foray on life support.
Arnold’s men had been considered Australia’s best chance of winning Asia’s flagship tournament since Western Sydney lifted the 2014 trophy.
Two defensive lapses brought them back to earth against the technically superior Antlers, on an evening that left some of Arnold’s younger players “starry-eyed”.
Now, last in Group H and with a single point to show for their opening three games, the coach may have to put Sydney’s ACL fate in the hands of those same starry-eyed kids.
It’s almost certain Michael Zullo won’t travel on Friday morning for next Tuesday’s return fixture in Kashima after the left-back reinjured his hamstring 24 minutes in.
Likewise, star playmaker Milos Ninkovic may not be risked after sitting out the game with his own hamstring niggle.
In a further blow, midfielder Brandon O’Neill is out through suspension having picked up his second yellow card of the tournament.
“Some older players with the travel we may keep back at home and give the younger kids a go,” Arnold said.
“Young kids always give energy. We’ll see how the dust settles in the next couple of days.
“We’ll fight right to the death, same as with the A-League we go into every game expecting to win so we’ll give everything we’ve got.”
Arnold said Ninkovic put his hand up to play but was wary Sydney could ill-afford to lose the reigning Johnny Warren Medallist for a lengthy period.
“He ran and trained yesterday … but I made the decision not to take that risk because those types of things can end up as a one-week injury or a six-week injury,” he said.
“And at this time of the (A-League) competition leading into the finals series there’s no way we could afford to lose Ninkovic for six weeks.”
The injuries betray signs the juggling act has taken its toll on a rarely troubled first XI.
Though Sydney remain eight points clear at the top of the A-League table, Wednesday night marked the first time the all-conquering club have lost successive games since April 2016, following Saturday’s upset 2-1 domestic humbling by 10-man Newcastle.
Further, Kashima’s display – despite their eight changes from Saturday’s J-League win over Gamba Osaka – was a chastening demonstration of Asia’s dramatic improvement.
“The movement of the ball must be quicker, the decision-making must be quicker,” Arnold said.
“Tactically everything was great, they did their jobs. It was the big moments that let us down and lack of concentration on set pieces.
“Sometimes in the A-League you don’t get punished for that. Champions League you do.”
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