Sydney FC will be without striker Mark Bridge and teenage midfielder Terry Antonis for Saturday's A-League clash against Newcastle.
Both have been sidelined for the past two matches with Bridge yet to recover from a back injury while Antonis is still battling niggling groin and calf issues after a hectic stint with the Olyroos.
Bridge's injury has opened the door for 19-year-old forward Mitchell Mallia.
Mallia will be on the bench for the Jets match and with his proven attacking flare - having scored 11 goals in seven games for the club's youth side this season - he provides an useful option for Sydney coach Vitezslav Lavicka.
"Mitchell Mallia is able to bring the quality with pace and good finishing, so it's good news for us," Lavicka said.
"Young Terry Antonis is still out too. He tried to train with us today but he's still not 100 per cent ready to play."
After halting Brisbane's record undefeated streak with a 2-0 win over the premiers two weeks ago, the Sky Blues came back down to earth with a 0-0 draw to bottom-placed Gold Coast last weekend.
Fifth-placed Sydney will be desperate to collect all three points from Saturday's clash at Newcastle to keep in touch with league leaders Brisbane and Central Coast.
AAP
Tags: soccer, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia First posted December 16, 2011 13:38:04
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