City captain Patrick Kisnorbo believes the vibe in the camp ahead of Saturday’s Melbourne Derby is the best it’s been all season.
The central defender comes into the contest on a high after his side made it three in a row on Sunday as they defeated Newcastle and Kisnorbo felt this momentum will give his side a crucial edge come Saturday.
“The group’s (feeling) good, especially coming into a Derby match,” Kisnorbo said.
“We’ve been working pretty hard over the last 3-4 weeks, but we have a big game this week and we are just concentrating on every session and trying to bring what we work on this week into Saturday’s game.
“Three wins in a row, we’ve scored a lot of goals, we have got a bit of momentum, but football changes very quickly. We just have to do the right things and get the basics right and hopefully that leaves us in good stead come this Saturday.”
Kisnorbo will see a new central defender next to him this week with the scans confirming Connor Chapman will miss up to three months due to MCL tear. With the prospect of Aaron Hughes returning to the side this week, the Northern Ireland international could be a direct replacement for the injured Chapman at centre back.
“Aaron’s been great and he’s back from dealing with a calf injury but I don’t pick the team, the coach is the one who decides that and hopefully he’s available and we’ll see what happens,” Kisnorbo said.
“He’s a great pro, you always see him in the gym working. He’s a modern professional and some of the younger boys look up to him because they see him do his work and he’s good to have around.
“It’s a big blow with Connor, we’ve had a few injuries this year but I hope he gets well and comes back soon.”
City also picked up it’s first clean sheet of the season this week but the captain believes there’s only more to come from the group as they continue their march up the Hyundai A-League ladder.
“Our team at the moment is doing really well, we’re a group of players that are very united, work hard for each other on and off the pitch, there’s a real togetherness and if we can bring that into the game, that would be fantastic.”
Melbourne City take on Victory this Saturday night at AAMI Park. Tickets still remain for the Derby so pick yours up now via Ticketek or sign up for our 3 Match Pack!
