Melbourne Heart are set to welcome back skipper Fred for Friday night's important Hyundai A-League clash with Gold Coast.
Melbourne Heart are set to welcome back skipper Fred for Friday night's important Hyundai A-League clash with Gold Coast.
Fred hasn't featured for Heart since the start of the year and the youthful club have been winless with their inspirational leader sitting on the sidelines.
But Fred, who made it through a 30-minute workout for the club's youth side on Sunday, trained well in hot conditions at AAMI Park on Wednesday and is expected to slot straight back into the starting XI to face the Gold Coast.
"It will be good to have him (Fred) back," defender Michael Marrone said.
"It is a massive game for us."
"They are bottom of the ladder, but every team in this league is hard to beat."
Marrone, who signed a new two-year deal with Heart on Wednesday, said the club is lucky to be sitting in the top six after such a barren run in the new year.
But the 25-year-old believes the return of experienced duo Fred and Matt Thompson from injury in the next two weeks, plus the added bonus of regaining a trio of national players currently away representing the Olyroos, should hold the club in good stead if they can hold on to a finals berth.
"It is important for all of us to lift and I am sure we will get a lift from some players coming back," he said.
"I think having a full squad helps."
"It puts pressure on you having competition for positions and knowing there is a lot of players that can play your position."
While Marrone has been one of Heart's most consistent performers this season, he still feels he has a lot of work to do if he is to fulfil his long-term goal of playing overseas.
Marrone feels that signing a new deal with the Heart - that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2013-2014 season - can provide a stepping stone to bigger things in the future.
"I am very happy to re-sign as it is a good club to be a part of and I am happy to continue on with them," he said.
"For me to be able to go overseas I need to play in a high level in the A League so I need to do well for the team and go from there."