Football: Fringe Phoenix players given opportunity to impress

The Wellington Phoenix are usually left badly hit by the All Whites' demands during the Fifa international window, but Andrew Durante believes this week's changes should be seen as a positive.

The Phoenix have lost Michael McGlinchey, Jeremy Brockie, Tyler Boyd and Michael Boxall to All Whites duty in Asia this week, but have retained the services of Glen Moss and Durante and the recently retired Ben Sigmund.

"It's obviously an opportunity now for other players to step up who otherwise wouldn't get the chance," Durante said. "I think it's a positive, because you need to use your squad. You need to see which players are able to fill in when called upon.

"There's no point having a squad of 23 players if you only ever use 15."

The squad movement leaves the door open for fringe squad members Josh Brindell-South and Roy Krishna, who will both start tonight against Adelaide. Durante said they both have a point to prove. "We have a lot of faith in the players that will step in," he said.

"Josh Brindell-South will play left back and he hasn't had a lot of game time over the last two seasons.

"But he's going to have to do a big job on the weekend and the club and coaching staff have a lot of faith in him to do that.

"Roy will probably start up front alongside Nathan Burns, so he gets his opportunity with Mikey being away.

"Roy's been a bit unlucky because he trains really well and generally when he comes on he makes a good impact. Last week he set up our winner. So hopefully he takes his chance and puts some questions in Ernie's mind about who should be starting the week after."

Durante watched this morning's All Whites match with teammates and said he had mixed emotions about not being in China.

"I would love to be over there with the boys in the national team, and I had that initial disappointment a few weeks ago when told I wasn't required.

"But if you want to play for the national team you have to play well for your club anyway, so it gives Mossy and I an opportunity to fully focus on the Phoenix and keep climbing the ladder."

The Phoenix have three wins from their opening five games and sit in fifth place on the A-League ladder, one place behind Adelaide.