He may not yet make it on the field, but at least Milislav Popovic is a chance to make his A-League debut for Macarthur Fc tomorrow night against Western United at Campbelltown Stadium.
The giant number 9 who grew up in Liverpool has until now been sidelined with injury.
But after being named in the playing squad by head coach Ante Milicic, there’s every chance that Popovic will run on at some stage in the Bulls colours for the first time.
And with the team coming off two defeats in a row, and sitting on sixth spot after being second most of the season, it’s important they get back on track.
This will be the Bulls’ 13th match in the A-League this season, so who knows, it could be Popovic’s and the team’s lucky day.
But as Milicic has pointed out in his last media conference this week, a team that boasts the likes of Besart Berisha and Alessandro Diamanti aren’t going to be pushovers. Indeed the first time they met in Ballarat it was a 4-1 scoreline the Victorians’ way.
“It is nice to be back in Campbelltown and we have had a good week in training,’’ Milicic said.
“If we can play the football we have shown in patches it gives us a chance to get a result.
“At our best we are a good side, plus we want to win every game because there’s three points up for grabs every time.
“But we need to be a bit more consistent with our performances.’’
As for Milislav Popovic, he will have another reason to be excited about making his debut so close to where he grew up.
He returned home to link up with Milicic and the Bulls after stints with European clubs in Italy, Austria and Germany.
After signing with Macarthur FC in September last year, the 1.9m forward expressed his excitement at the prospect of playing in front of friends and family for the first time in his professional career.
“Growing up in Liverpool, I know we have extremely passionate football fans in the area and I’m looking forward to seeing them all come together to support this club,” he said at the time.
“The opportunity to represent my local area on the national stage is a great honour for me.
“I know my family and friends will be supporting us at every match at Campbelltown Stadium.’’
Tomorrow night, with a bit of luck, Popovic might just get his wish.
The Macarthur FC squad is: 1. Adam Federici (goalkeeper), 3. Antony Golec, 4. Benat Etxebarria, 5. Mark Milligan (captain), 6. Aleksandar Jovanovic, 7. Ivan Franjic, 8. Denis Genreau, 9. Milislav Popovic, 10. Loic Puyo, 11. Tommy Oar, 12. James Meredith, 15. Aleksandar Susnjar, 20. Ryan Wood (goalkeeper), 21. Jake Hollman, 22. Liam Rose,23. Walter Scott 27. Matt Derbyshire, 29. Antonis Martis, 31. Lachlan Rose, 33. Markel Susaeta
