‘We’re professional’: Kisnorbo moved on from Cup drama as Arzani returns for Melbourne Derby

There was plenty of shock when Daniel Arzani, one of Melbourne Victory’s best players, was left out of Patrick Kisnorbo’s squad for the final of the Australia Cup, a game they went on to lose 1-0 to Macarthur.

What was originially pitched as “experimentation” by Kisnorbo for when Victory were to take on the Mariners in round one of the A-League Men (a game they also failed to win) where Arzani was suspended, quickly faded away as rumours of a bust up at training suggested different motivations.

Whatever did happen, Kisnorob says he has moved on from the saga, as Arzani returns to the Victory squad just in time for the first Melbourne Derby of the season on Saturday night.

“We’re professional. That’s a couple of weeks back now, so in that time we’ve moved on, he got picked for the Socceroos which is great, he’s been training well, so we’ll see what involvement he might have,” Kisnorbo said.

“His expectation is to work as hard as he can, and knowing his talent, his talent speaks for itself. But, there’s no pressure from myself ontwards him, I’ve just told him ‘work as hard as you can’.”

Arzani is not the only selection question for Kisnorbo in the final third.

New signing Nikos Vergos played the majority of minutes as the starting striker in Victory’s Australia Cup run, leading to a bit of a surprise when it was Bruno Fornaroli entrusted with the role in the opening game of the A-League Men season.

The starting striker position is obviously not a certainty for either, with Kisnorbo quick to remind people that Jing Reec is also in the mix.

“I’ve made it very clear since I’ve been here, that we want competition for the right reasons, and I think it’s healthy. The fact that we have a choice, it’s great, everyone will get a chance in the season, the seasons are long,” he said.

The other massive talking point in the lead up to this game, is the switching of city lines from Kisnorbo himself, the once captain and Championship manager of the lighter shade of blue in Melbourne.

“The build up’s been like for me, any other game. Obviously on the outside it’d be different, don’t know how I really feel until I experience tomorrow night, but end of the day I’m focused on what I need to do here and bring on tomorrow’s game,” he said.

“I have friendships with a lot of people still to this day, very close. But I’m also a professional and I’ve got a job to do like them so I’ll just concentrate on myself and the team and doing the best we can.

“You can’t hide from it, but it is what it is, so end of the day, it’s a game that has history but also has myself at another club, so I’m sure there are talking points about that but for me I just gotta concentrate on my job here and doing the best we can.

“If we can make our fans happy tomorrow by working hard, that’d be great.”