German loan signing Max Beister has been added to the match-day squad for Melbourne Victory’s Remembrance Round clash with Western Sydney Wanderers at Etihad Stadium.
Beister has been in training with Victory since arriving in Australia on October 26, working towards peak fitness while waiting for his working visa to be approved.
Victory received the paperwork on Friday, clearing Beister to take his place in the squad on Saturday night.
“He’s been working away, very hard, and getting close to being involved in the team but having to wait, like we all were,” Victory coach Kevin Muscat said of Beister.
“Then this morning we got an email nice and early, so he had a decent spring in his step and he’s looking forward to it.”
Beister joined Victory on loan from Bundesliga club Mainz and Muscat indicated the 26-year-old will be on the bench against the Wanderers, while Fahid Ben Khalfallah and Jai Ingham are the main options to start on the right wing in the absence of Marco Rojas.
Rojas, who has scored four goals and notched four assists this season, is away with the New Zealand national team.
“(Starting Beister would)Â be unrealistic and irresponsible at this point in time,” Muscat said.Â
“We’ve been planning all week without him as well, but he’ll certainly come into contention (for the squad).
“He’s got to a point now where he can be thrown in and add some value to the squad.”
Muscat added that captain Carl Valeri, who has missed the past two matches with hamstring soreness, is ready for 90 minutes if required.
In more immigration news for Victory, Muscat hosed down expectations that marquee striker Besart Berisha will become an Australian citizen in January.
Reports had indicated Berisha, who first arrived in Australia in 2011, would receive his citizenship on Australia Day but Muscat said the process was far from certain.
“There’s no guarantee when it’s going through, so at this point in time I don’t really look into it too much because it could be January, it could be July,” Muscat said.
Tickets for Victory’s match against Western Sydney are available here.
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Hyundai A-League 2016/17 Round 6
Melbourne Victory v Western Sydney Wanderers
Saturday, November 12, 7.50pm AEDT
Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
TV:Â Live on Fox Sports 505 from 7.45pm AEDT
Radio: 774 ABC Melbourne/ABC Local Radio Vic, Grandstand Digital, A-League Live via the ABC Radio app, EON Sports Radio, SEN 1116, Crocmedia A-League Live, Hawkesbury Radio
Online: Join the conversation on social media using #MVCvWSW
Melbourne Victory squad (two to be omitted): 2.Jason GERIA, 4.Nick ANSELL, 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 8.Besart BERISHA, 9.Max BEISTER, 10.James TROISI, 11.Mitch AUSTIN, 13.Oliver BOZANIC, 14.Fahid BEN KHALFALLAH, 15.Alan BARO, 16.Rashid MAHAZI, 17.James DONACHIE, 19.George HOWARD, 20.Lawrence THOMAS (gk), 21.Carl VALERI (c), 22.Stefan NIGRO, 23.Jai INGHAM, 27.Alastair BRAY (gk)
Ins: 9.Max BEISTER (new signing), 19.George HOWARD (promoted), 21.Carl VALERI (returns from injury)
Outs: 7.Marco ROJAS (international duty – 1 week)
Unavailable: 5.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI (collarbone – 2-3 weeks)
