Adelaide United forward Sergio Cirio has declared he has fully recovered from a knee injury which sidelined him for nearly two months, ahead of the Reds’ crucial Round 10 encounter with Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.
The Reds secured their first win of the season last week thanks to a dominant team display and will be desperate to continue that momentum in a bid to climb the table.
It is the second meeting between these two sides this campaign with Adelaide rescuing a point at Coopers Stadium to earn a 1-1 draw one month ago in Round 6.
As alluded to, Adelaide registered an impressive 2-0 home victory over the Wellington Phoenix courtesy of Henrique’s stunning brace last weekend, while the Roar played out an entertaining 1-1 stalemate with Melbourne City at AAMI Park.
Cirio explained it was frustrating not being able to contribute to the team, but admitted he is confident the Reds can take all three points against Brisbane.
“The knee feels very well, the fitness coach and the physio staff have done a very good job and I’m ready to play again,” Cirio said.
“When you’re outside (on the sidelines) you’re more nervous because you’re away from the field and what you want to do is to help the team but I couldn’t.
“The situation wasn’t that good and now that we got our first win of the season (last weekend) hopefully we can get our first win away from home.”
Cirio, who returns to the fray for the first time since sustaining a knee injury in Round 2, revealed he has mixed emotions heading into the clash.
“I’m a little bit nervous and a little bit excited more than anything because it’s been such a long time since I’ve played a game,” Cirio said.
“Now I just want to play and be ready for the team and help the team as much as I can.”
Historically, little separates the two sides in the head-to-head matchup with United and Brisbane both notching 14 wins, leaving nine stalemates in 37 Hyundai A-League meetings.
However, the Reds are unbeaten in their last three matches against John Aloisi’s men and their last visit to Suncorp saw the South Australians run rampant with an emphatic 4-1 triumph in January 2016.
With Adelaide unbeaten in their previous two matches, Cirio is also optimistic the team can consolidate this current streak, but intimated the number of injuries endured at the start of the season affected the squad’s chemistry.
“I’m pretty confident we can get the result against the Roar, especially after the first win (against Wellington) and I also think we’ve been a little bit unlucky with the injuries this season,” Cirio continued
“So hopefully this situation ends soon and the coach (Guillermo Amor) can have everyone available every week.”
Adelaide United will face Brisbane Roar in Round 10 of the Hyundai A-League 2016/17 season on Sunday, 11 December at Suncorp Stadium. Kick-off is at 4.30pm ACDT.
