The Marco Kurz era begins for Melbourne Victory on Wednesday night but Robbie Kruse will not be playing any part.
Kruse, 30, has been ruled out of Victory’s FFA Cup 2019 Round of 32 tie with Newcastle Jets with a leg injury sustained in an intra-club hit-out last week.
"We must be careful with this kind of injury in this moment but it's nothing serious," said Kurz, who added that the Australian requires "two weeks rest" to recover.
CONFIRMED: Squads released for FFA Cup 2019 Round of 32 Match Day 3
Former Bundesliga boss Kurz – an FFA Cup winner with Adelaide United in 2018 – also confirmed that the club are on the hunt for “four or five” top quality signings ahead of the new Hyundai A-League season.
Victory were hit hard by the post-season departures of Keisuke Honda, Raul Baena and Georg Niedermeier, while the more recent exits of Kosta Barbarouses to Sydney FC and Terry Antonis to Suwon Bluewings have also stung.
"We lost an offensive midfielder and a 10,” Kurz lamented. “We need for sure central midfielders and we need central defenders."
INS AND OUTS: Melbourne Victory
"It's not easy to find Australian midfielders at the moment but we are looking."
Victory kick off their FFA Cup 2019 campaign against Newcastle at 7:30pm AEST.
