It's how well you train that counts not what you do in a game, the boy from Brazil said.

Saba, 24, is preparing for the Wanderers' second leg of the Champions League semi-final against the Korea Republic's FC Seoul.

After showing flashes of his ability in the first leg that finished 0-0, Saba does not know if his eye-catching performance will be rewarded with a start in the return at Parramatta Stadium.

"I've taken part in three games so far and played almost a full 90 minutes only once, in Seoul," Saba said.

"I thought I did well in the first leg in Seoul but our coach Tony Popovic does not pick his starting line-up on the basis of individual performances.

"He picks his team on how we do at training.

"If someone scores a hat-trick on a Saturday and we have a game on the Wednesday yet does not train well he won't start.

"This is something new for me because what happens on the field usually determines who plays in the next game ... but it's not like that with the Wanderers.

"With the new coach I'm working with I know that if I start against Seoul on Wednesday it will be because I'm training well not because of how I played in Seoul.

"In other words, it will be more about how I trained and less about how I played."

Saba was signed in the off-season on a two-year contract from Italian Serie B club Brescia as a replacement for Japanese hero Shinji Ono, who went back to his homeland to play for Consadole Sapporo.

Saba has big boots to fill and he realises that he will be expected to be an adequate replacement for Ono in the vital front third of the field.

Saba said he did not feel the pressure of having to emulate the deeds of the Japanese star and said that his new club's culture was not about expecting individuals to deliver but for the group to work as a team.

"It is always a group effort with the Wanderers," he said.

"Our coach always puts the group mentality above everything else.

"We never talk about one player but the group which is why it is so strong and united.

"We all know that I'm supposed to be a quality player who must step up and make a difference but it is always the group that comes first.

"We never put extra pressure on one player, like Tomi Juric up front or Nikolai Topor-Stanley at the back, for example.

"Football is not an individual's game anymore."

Saba said the Wanderers are in a strong position to reach the final but they should not worry too much about the away-goals situation on Wednesday.

"Goalless draws away from home can be tricky," he said.

"When you are in this position it is very easy to think that you have the advantage but if you concede one goal everything changes.

"I think we have to play our game and not worry too much about what happened in Seoul.

"We just cannot think about having to score or needing not to concede or anything like that.

"Playing at home automatically gives us a boost and we have to stick to our plan so we can get the desired result."

Saba revealed the whole squad was thrilled to be only one win away from contesting the biggest prize in Asian club football.

"We are really excited because, you know, this is not a normal game and one that everyone wants to play," Saba said.

"We are all counting the days to Wednesday."