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Ajeej Sarkaria could be a key for FC Edmonton to finally unlocking Cavalry FC and earning a win in the Al Classico Canadian Premier League provincial encounter.

The attacking midfielder has returned to Edmonton’s starting lineup and has been effective in his role of late.

“I started off slow in the season, I had a couple of poor performances, but I think I’ve been getting more confidence in training and (head coach) Jeff (Paulus) has always told me he believes in me,” Sarkaria said. “So I’ve been trying to focus on my game and trying to help my team get results. I think the good performances will come with it.”

A local product, Sarkaria, 24, came up through the FC Edmonton youth academy and eventually went on to play with the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

In his travels trying to break into professional soccer, Sarkaria played three seasons with Foothills FC, who now make up the core of Cavalry FC, also coached by coach Tommy Wheeldon.