IS ROBERT Koren’s much maligned time at Melbourne City up?

After Saturday night’s win over Western Sydney, City coach John van’t Schip was far from unequivocal about whether his current international marquee would be at the club following the January transfer window.

But hours earlier van’t Schip had made a far more definitive statement about the Slovenian’s playing prospects this season, having left the fully fit 35-year-old out of the squad to face the Wanderers.

Favoured in midfield ahead of the man who captained his country in the 2010 World Cup was Jacob Melling, a relatively unheralded 20-year-old defensive midfielder.

Even on the bench Koren couldn’t find his way past young attacker Wade Dekker, A-League journeyman midfielder Jason Trifiro and David Williams, a player who himself seems destined for the exit door.

Injuries — most notably to his calves — have thwarted the former West Bromwich Albion and Hull City star, but after being handed a starting berth against Sydney FC last week, yet another uninspired performance may have been the last straw.

He’s played 26 of a possible 43 games, five of them off the bench, scored three goals — all in one game, against Newcastle last season — and had just three assists.

With the team’s new 3-5-2 formation giving its holding midfielders more freedom to push forward, there is no reason why Koren could not have lined up alongside Erik Paartalu in midfield on Saturday.

media_camera Robert Koren stretches for a ball against Melbourne Victory. Picture: Colleen Petch

Instead it was Melling, whose development since signing last season has been staggering, picked, the South Australian’s tenacity preferred to Koren’s experience.

Melling himself isn’t taking his spot in the side for granted and said Koren had been a huge help to him in the past 18 months.

“Watching Robbie, where he’s been and the professionalism he has, I just try to pick those things up,” Melling said.

“I’m just trying to work my arse off each week for the team because it’s the kind of player I am.

“JVS must like the way I play I guess, I’m sort of hard at it, but when I do get my opportunity I’m trying to take it as much as I can. You don’t know what’s going to happen next week.”

Melling said the recent change in formation at City had agreed with him.

“It’s more freedom to get forward, we can push out without having to worry as much about what’s behind us,” he said.

“If we get a shout saying “stay” then we’ll stay, but we can actually go help Aaron Mooy to push in or even the strikers knowing we have more of that cover.

“We have more numbers so we’re not timid to go forward, not timid to win the ball in that midfield area.”