Glory Head Coach Richard Garcia is confident that his squad will be able to take the challenges posed by the club’s upcoming AFC Champions League campaign in their stride.
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Due to fly to Qatar next week in order to play their remaining five Group F games, the Glory squad will be subject to a raft of stringent protocols put in place by the Asian Football Confederation.
But Garcia believes that the players’ experience within the New South Wales hub at the end of last season will help them adapt.
“The players are getting used to the changes within daily and sporting life,” he said.
“Even the way we operate on a day-to-day basis has changed; as an organisation we’ve had to adapt to the world around us.
“There are the usual reservations among the players as there are in the wider community…but they’re all professionals and have been wrapping their heads around what’s required.”
In terms of his ensuring his squad’s on-field fitness, meanwhile, Garcia confirmed that a juggling act will be required given how early the tournament comes during the club’s pre-season campaign.
“We’re looking to take 22 players over to Qatar which will provide us with some give in terms of how we manage the players and their loads,” he said.
“We have five games in three weeks which is going to be very challenging on the players and their bodies… and it’s about trying to get the players into a condition where their bodies don’t break down.”
While the immediate focus for Glory may be overseas, Garcia is hopeful that the recently-announced easing of border restrictions means home games will return to Perth sooner rather than later.
“That news was massive,” he said.
“We want to play in front of our home fans; that gives us strength.
“We love playing at home.”
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