''It's not the best but what can you do,'' caretaker coach Mehmet Durakovic said yesterday. ''We will get to Korea on Monday, have a light training run and assess the boys. The game is not until Wednesday night, so we have time to get them right.''

Durakovic is optimistic that both Velaphi and Kruse will be fit to take their places in the starting XI, although Victory's depth, sorely tested through much of this campaign, is set to face a stiff examination again.

While Angulo would not have started, he, like Pondeljak, could have been a contender for a place on the bench.

Victory skipper Adrian Leijer is not looking to injuries or suspensions - winger Isaka Cernak is also ruled out of this game having picked up a ban through an accumulation of yellow cards against Gamba - as any excuse.

''We go into this game as confident as we can be. We have improved a lot during this campaign and have done well to still be in contention after that poor start in Osaka [when Victory crashed 5-1 to the Japanese club],'' Leijer said.