Melbourne Heart coach John van 't Schip has backed reserve goalkeeper Nikola Roganovic to do the job for the A-League club as uncertainty remains over injured first-choice Clint Bolton.
Bolton has a groin injury which ruled him out of the Heart's 3-2 opening-round loss to Newcastle Jets last weekend.
Van 't Schip admitted the 36-year-old's injury was difficult to assess in terms of how long he would be sidelined, with the official line that Bolton is out indefinitely.
"It's difficult to say - it could be longer, it could be shorter," he said of Bolton's injury.
"It depends on how quick he gets onto the pitch. He's doing a little bit of pitchwork, and if that progresses ... it could be two weeks, it could be four weeks."
But the one certainty is Roganovic will retain his place for the Heart's first home match of the season against Perth Glory on Sunday at AAMI Park.
In his A-League debut just three weeks after securing the last spot on the Heart's roster, the former Victorian Premier League keeper conceded three including a late winner.
"It's very difficult to come in from the VPL with only a month training with us," van 't Schip said of Roganovic.
"We don't have any doubt about him. We looked around for about a year before we signed him."
The news could be better for axed Heart skipper Simon Colosimo, whose calf injury has improved to the point he is an outside chance of selection against the Glory.
"Simon's looking a lot better - he played 30 minutes with the youth team last weekend," he said.
"This week, he is training fully with us and, if he progresses the way he is, there is a chance we could have him in the squad against Perth."
The curtain-raiser to the Heart-Glory clash will be the Westpac United 4 Charity match to raise money for children's cancer.
Former AFL players Matthew Lloyd and Anthony Koutoufides are among those who will take part.
AAP
Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted October 12, 2011 19:27:02
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