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Wanderers brace for 14 matches in eight weeks

Western Sydney coach Tony Popovic says his players are feeling fresh ahead of a busy schedule as they fight for silverware on three fronts.

Western Sydney coach Tony Popovic says his players are feeling fresh ahead of a busy schedule as they fight for silverware on three fronts.

With their AFC Champions League campaign kicking off next week the Wanderers are about to embark on a run of 14 matches in just eight weeks before the Hyundai A-League finals.

It starts with a grueling trip to Perth to face the Glory this weekend as well as trips to China (Guizhou Renhe), Japan (Kawasaki Frontale) and South Korea (Ulsan Hyundai).

In all the club will be racking up plenty of frequent flyer points with more than 54,000kms of plane travel in that time.

While Popovic is never one for outlandish statements, the club feel they can compete on all fronts, with the Premiers’ Plate, Hyundai A-League championship and ACL all on the line in coming months.

“It’s a new experience for us at the club, the staff, players included but we’re looking forward to the challenge,” Popovic said on Tuesday.

“But it’s one step at a time and we’ve got to take care of Perth.

“That’s the most immediate concern for us to play well in that match and then we’ll shift our attention to a tournament (ACL) that’s very prestigious.

“We know our fans, the club, everyone’s looking forward to and we want to represent the Hyundai A-League well.”

With Melbourne Victory playing their own ACL qualifier last Saturday, the Wanderers enjoyed a rare weekend off after playing their Round 19 fixture last month.

“The week off came at a really good time for us,” Popovic admitted.

“With the busy schedule we’ve got coming up it gave us a good chance to work on a few things in training but also give some of the boys some down low time as well.

“They won’t get too many days off from now on.

“The boys have enjoyed the week but now we’re ready to prepare well for Perth this weekend and what’s ahead.”

And the good news for the Wanderers boss is he has almost a full squad to choose from now with Italian Iacopo La Rocca shrugging off a foot injury to return to face the Glory after six weeks out.

Asked about the trip to Perth, who have gone five games without a win, Popovic said: ‘We know it will be a tough game.

“They are a good side and at home they have proven they can get the results and they play well in front of their fans.

“We won’t look into the last result (a 3-1 Wanderers win last month) too much.

“We know we have to go there and play well to get the result.”