Racial slur allegations not a distraction as Jets eye must-win match

The Jets lodged a complaint with Football Australia after an alleged incident involving a member of the public during their 2-0 loss to second-placed Melbourne City in Melbourne last Sunday.

Newcastle are back south of the border in round 20 of A-League Women, pushing for a top-six finals position with three games to play.

"It was [a distraction] last week but during this week, no," Campbell said.

"The complaint has gone on to Football Australia and we've just got on with what we're doing."

United, who lost 4-2 to an Emily van Egmond-inspired Jets in round eight, top the standings with 35 points while the Jets are seventh on 24 points.

Western Sydney skipped ahead to 27 points and outright sixth place by beating Canberra 4-1 midweek.

"Western United are obviously effective, and they've got some good, quality players, but I definitely think they're beatable," Campbell said.

"If we can get our tactics right and we can execute well, we're more than capable of winning the game.

"So far we haven't been in a situation where it's been must-win. But I would say we're now at the point where you have to win games in order to give yourself the chance to get there because you can't keep relying on results from opposition teams going the way that you need them to go."

The Jets are still without Young Matildas duo Claudia Cicco and Lara Gooch, who are playing at the AFC under-20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan and have helped Australia book passage to the World Cup in Colombia in August.

Other rising talent Zoe Karipidis is in the United States playing a tournament in Dallas with the Australian schoolgirls.

The absence of Cicco and Karipidis, who have been regular starters in the Jets' back line, will test the side's defensive stocks.

But, in a welcome boost, strike weapon Melina Ayres looks set to return via the bench.

Ayres was a key signing for the Jets this campaign but her season has been hampered by injury and illness setbacks.

"She won't be starting," Campbell said.

"She's been involved in all training sessions for a couple of weeks but this week was the first week she's had a couple of full sessions.

"She's still coming back from sickness, so she has been managed through how much she can do at training.

"I think she'll be up for 15 or 20 minutes of game time. That will be a huge help for us."

The game will be the first played at United's new Regional Football Facility in Tahneit with kick-off at 4pm.