Daniel Adlung admits training and playing around Christmas time is something new, having been accustomed to the winter break which is prevalent in Germany.
Adelaide take on the Central Coast Mariners in their Round 12 encounter at Coopers Stadium on Tuesday night.
It is the first time Adlung has experienced an Australia Christmas – a stark contrast to the much cooler and the often white Christmas synonymous back in his homeland.
The German midfielder, who along with Ben Garuccio returns from suspension, said he is embracing playing during the festive period.
“It’s new for me because in Europe or in Germany especially they have a winter break,” he said.
“So it’s my first time that I train and play on Christmas and it’s a nice experience and hopefully we get a big crowd on Tuesday.”
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Adlung incidentally scored an absolute rocket which was voted November’s goal of the month the last time these two sides met, as the Reds went on to seal a dramatic 2-1 win.
He is anticipating another arduous clash, but insisted his teammates are prepared and determined to secure a vital win.
“It will be a really hard game because Central Coast is a good team,” he continued.
“They’ve a very good offence so we have to prepare for the game and we expect a hard game.
“But we are ready for this game after last week we had two days off and it’s good for your head to not think about football.
“And now we are hungry for the next game so I think it will be a good game.”
Adlung said the two rest days in the lead up to this clash have been beneficial, providing an opportunity for players to recuperate.
“For me it was a bit longer now, but I feel very good,” he said.
“We trained the last few days and did some good tactical things and I think we are prepared, and everybody is fresh and ready for the game.
“We had a lot of games the last month so you need this sometimes to get a little break, two days is not much but for us was very important.”
Adelaide United host Central Coast Mariners in Round 12 of the Hyundai A-League 2017/18 season on Tuesday, 26 December at Coopers Stadium. Kick-off is at 7.20pm ACDT.
