Three top Otago United defenders will be missing tomorrow when the team plays Auckland City at Kiwitea Street.
Matt Joy and Tom Connor were red-carded in the 4-1 win over Manawatu last week, and Craig Ferguson has been suspended due to his accumulation of cautions.
Joy can, perhaps, feel aggrieved. His second yellow was for a ferocious tackle that almost put Jordan Martens into the grandstand. But the tackle, while possibly a foul, may not have merited a second yellow.
On the brighter side, Otago coach Richard Murray has regained the services of Tim Horner, Ant Hancock and Morgan Day, who all missed the Manawatu game.
Also in the wings are eager youth players keen to fill gaps, and all are full of confidence after their 4-1 win over the Manawatu youth team.
Coach Tony Martin's youth side is champing at the bit, as it has a bye this week.
''We were looking very good until the last 10 minutes against Manawatu and then a couple of players lost the plot,'' Murray said.
''That leaves us down on resources at the moment. It means a chance for some youth players. The youth team has a bye this weekend and it's the club's policy to push development of our youth, so this can be an opportunity.''
It looks like Otago youth captain Geordie Mansford, Queenstown-based goalkeeper Zayn Officer and Cam Atwood will at least be on the subs bench at Kiwitea Street.
Despite losing Joy, the equally tall Benjudah Fitzpatrick will be a key central defender, especially if he can replicate last week's form, when he never missed a tackle or header and was Otago's man of the match. Mansford also put in a useful shift and it would be no surprise if he started.
Last week, striker Aaron Burgess played deeper in attack, and the space created was expertly utilised by Regan Coldicott, who timed his runs superbly on to well-weighted passes. In effective imitation, Aajay Cunningham, Frenchman Victor da Costa, Seamus Ryder and Sam Mepham also pushed forward on dangerous runs.
In the first-round match against Auckland in Dunedin, Burgess scored to give Otago a 1-0 lead with eight minutes to go. Then referee Campbell-Kirk Waugh decided that Coldicott took too long at a throw-in and reduced Otago to 10 men after 79 minutes - inspiring an Auckland resurgence that eventually clinched a 3-1 result.
Auckland, clearly, is a classy side, tucked in five points behind Waitakere on the ASB Premiership table and with a game in hand.
Missing from captain Ivan Vicelich's side is Luis Corrales, who scored twice in that game against Otago, but Daniel Koprivcic comes in and the Yugoslav is unlikely to weaken Auckland.
Otago now sits in a group of three clubs occupying fifth place in the league, alongside Wellington and Waikato. All are on six points, and aiming at Canterbury, nine points ahead.
''We may not have the home crowd baying us onwards this week, but we performed well against Auckland in Dunedin, and there is no reason why we should not upset them,'' Murray said.
''Morale is high, the starting XI will give everything they've got, and our bench is keen to get out there and do the business.''
Otago v Auckland
Auckland, tomorrow, 2pm
Otago United: Liam Little, Benjudah Fitzpatrick, Morgan Day, Regan Coldicott, Seamus Ryder, Victor Da Costa, Ant Hancock, James Govan, Scott Gannon, Sam Mepham, Aajay Cunningham, Tim Horner (captain), Geordie Mansford, Andrew Ridden, Aaron Burgess, Zayn Officer, Cam Attwood.
Auckland City: Tamati Williams, Simon Arms, Takuya Iwata, Angel Berlanga, Chris Bale, Manel Exposito, Daniel Koprivcic, Alex Feneridis, Adam Dickinson, Ivan Vicelich (captain), Albert Riera, Pedro Santa Cecilia Garcia, Damien Hirst, Dan Saric, Emiliano Tade, David Browne, Andrew Milne, Jorda Vale.
