Newcastle Olympic will have a full squad to choose from but Cooks Hill are down three players for their Australia Cup game at Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field on Wednesday night (7.30pm).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Olympic welcome back attacking weapon Malik Thom (suspension), defender Marcus Duncan and striker Kent Harrison (both injury) for the clash which will decide one of two NNSWF places in the cup's national round of 32.
Striving to make the main draw for the second consecutive season, Olympic last played on June 11 when beating Lake Macquarie 2-0 to make the NNSW last four in the knockout.
In that game, Thom was serving the second and last match of his ban for striking from the NPL draw with Weston, while Harrison and Duncan were sidelined with hamstring problems.
Duncan limped off early in the Weston game, while Harrison was hurt in the previous NPL round against Magic.
Assistant coach Glen Chapman, who will be in charge again on Wednesday night while Joel Griffiths remains suspended, said all three additions had been training well and would be in Olympic's squad.
Cooks Hill, enjoying their best cup run, have Tom Smart suspended and striker Jamie Byrnes and centre-back Boaz Muir injured.
Smart was set to play after getting only a one-game ban from his red card in the 4-0 win over Coffs Coast on June 11. However, the defender was unable to serve it on Saturday in the NPL after their match with Broadmeadow was washed out.
