Adelaide United forward Henrique has declared himself fit ahead of the Reds’ intriguing Round 8 encounter away to Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Adelaide will be desperate to claim their first win of the season after registering two draws in the opening seven fixtures of the campaign.
Guillermo Amor’s men suffered a contentious 3-1 defeat to Perth Glory on the road last weekend, while the Sky Blues earned a 1-1 with Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium.
Henrique revealed he has recovered from a knee injury which he sustained earlier in the season and confessed it was hard watching the team play and unable to contribute.
“It’s very good to be back, I’m very happy now I can help my teammates on the field and the knee feels fine,” Henrique said.
“I’m ready to start but that’s the coach’s decision, I’m here to help in any way possible.
“It was hard (watching the team) because you want to be out there and help your teammates, but watching you can’t (help them), but you just have to try and support them.
“No matter what the situation is, you just have to support the team.”
On the match itself, the 31-year-old admitted it will be a difficult clash against the ladder leaders in Sydney and stressed the team must “stick together”.
“We have to focus now and stick together,” he said. “It’s a hard time for us but every game is a difficult game but this game will be even more because they’re top of the table.
“We need to stick together and do everything we can to get the win.”
Adelaide have enjoyed an impressive nine-game undefeated streak in the league since losing to the Harbour City outfit in February 2013.
Despite United having yet to keep a clean sheet so far this campaign, they have held the Sky Blues scoreless in their past four matches at Allianz Stadium, outscoring them 9-0 across those games.
Although, the Reds have scored in every match this campaign, they are yet to net multiple goals in a single game and Henrique believes it is only a matter of time before United convert more of their chances.
“We practice shooting drills every week, so it’s a matter of composure and taking the right decision, sometimes not shooting, and sometimes passing to the person next to you,” he continued.
“So I think as soon as we win it will all fall together and the goals will start to come.”
Reds Boss, Amor, will be unable to feature in the technical area – serving a mandatory one match suspension – however Henrique stated it will not have a huge bearing on proceedings.
“Obviously it’s better to have your coach on the sidelines near you, but we train all week so we know what he (Amor) wants,” Henrique stressed.
“We’ve been together for a long time now so it won’t make a big difference.
“Everything was normal, we’ve been training hard because it’s a difficult game and very important for us.”
Adelaide United will face Sydney FC in Round 8 of the Hyundai A-League 2016/17 season on Saturday, 26 November at Allianz Stadium. Kick-off is at 7.20pm ACDT.
