Sydney FC striker Kosta Barbarouses is set to reject a New Zealand call-up next week so he can play against former club Melbourne Victory.

Club sources told the Sydney Morning Herald that Barbarouses had informed New Zealand Football he did not want to travel to Europe for friendlies against Ireland and Lithuania this month.

The games are the first for New Zealand in 17 months but Barbarouses wants to focus on his A-League form and play in the Big Blue on November 17 at Jubilee Oval.

GETTY IMAGES Kosta Barbarouses jumps the tackle of Nigel Boogaard during Sydney's big win over Newcastle.

"I am really looking forward to it," Barbarouses said. "It's going to be great to come up against my old team."

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New Zealand are expected to announce their squad next week but club sources suggested Barbarouses had negotiated his withdrawal with new All Whites coach Danny Hay, who takes charge for the first time.

Games in Europe are rare for New Zealand, who have not played their since the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. Their previous European game before that was a friendly against Slovenia seven years ago.

Barbarouses opened his Sydney FC account in style on Friday night, scoring a brilliant solo goal to seal a 4-1 win over Newcastle Jets at Leichhardt Oval. It was his first competitive goal for the Sky Blues since the switch from Victory. He said there was a lucky charm in the stands, his newborn daughter Lola Sofia.

It's a great feeling, obviously, in front of The Cove as well, and my baby girl was there too tonight, first game watching Dad. Great to get the monkey off my back," he said. "She's six weeks old. Her name is Lola Sofia. She just turned six weeks a couple of days ago and got her immunisation, so she can come watch Dad play."

The 29-year-old came close to scoring in Sydney's three previous A-League games, only to be denied by the VAR, the upright and his own slightly wayward finishing. He said he felt mounting pressure to score but was confident the goals would come.

"You have to back yourself. I think it's the toughest position," he said. "You have to accept the criticism and maybe the self-doubt that creeps in, you have to ignore that and back yourself as a player and as a finisher. You have to take on the chances."