Five Wellington Phoenix players have been added to the men’s A-League All Stars squad to face English Premier League club Newcastle United.
They are goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, defenders Tim Payne and Scott Wootton and midfielders Bozhidar Kraev and Ben Old.
The updated squad now has 21 players, with the addition also of Sydney FC’s Jordan Courtney-Perkins, Rhyan Grant and Luke Bratton to the 13-strong preliminary squad named last week.
The men’s All Stars will face Newcastle United on Friday May 24 at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, in a double header with the women’s All Stars playing London club Arsenal.
Main photo: Marvel Stadium will the All Stars games on Friday.
READ MORE: Three Ferns named in women’s A-League All Stars squad to face Arsenal >>>>
The All Stars men’s head coach is Patrick Kisnorbo who said: “We had a busy weekend moving the magnets around as we watched the semi final second legs unfold. We wish the Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory all the best and we welcome players from Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix into the fold.
“This squad is a fantastic mix of the best talent across the A-Leagues, including seven under-23s and four internationals. We now have four days together to build the synergy and game plan so that we can take it to Newcastle United on Friday night.
“I think we have the firepower and defensive strength to be able to put on a really great show against a team from the best league in the world.”
READ MORE: Former A-League winner to coach All Stars squad against Newcastle United >>>>
Men’s A-League squad
Goalkeepers
Lawrence Thomas (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Alex Paulsen (Wellington Phoenix)
Defenders
Kai Trewin (Brisbane Roar)
Marcelo Guedes (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Ben Garuccio (Western United)
Jordan Courtney-Perkins (Sydney)
Rhyan Grant (Sydney)
Tim Payne (Wellington Phoenix)
Scott Wootton (Wellington Phoenix)
Midfielders
Jay O’Shea (Brisbane Roar)
Jake Hollman (Macarthur)
Tolgay Arslan (Melbourne City)
Angus Thurgate (Western United)
Luke Brattan (Sydney)
Bozhidar Kraev (Wellington Phoenix)
Ben Old (Wellington Phoenix)
Forwards
Nestory Irankunda (Adelaide United)
Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City)
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (Newcastle Jets)
Adam Taggart (Perth Glory)
Nicolas Milanovic (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Newcastle United squad
The confirmed touring squad for Newcastle United is:
Goalkeepers
Mark Gillespie
Aidan Harris
Nick Pope,
Defenders
Harrison Ashby
Dan Burn
Dylan Charlton
Paul Dummett
Lewis Hall
Emil Krafth
Alex Murphy
Ciaran Thompson
Kieran Trippier
Midfielders
Elliot Anderson
Lucas De Bolle
Bruno Guimaraes
Travis Hernes
Joelinton
Jacob Murphy
Matt Ritchie
Ellis Stanton
Jay Turner-Cooke
Joe White
Forwards
Miguel Almirón
Harvey Barnes
Amadou Diallo
Alexander Isak
Garang Kuol
Ben Parkinson
Callum Wilson
Patrick Kisnorbo’s media briefing
How to buy tickets
Tickets for all three matches at Melbourne’s festival of football and the open training sessions for the men’s and women’s All Stars are available at Ticketek Australia here >>>>
Fixtures
Game to be played on Wednesday May 22, 2024
Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, 9.45pm (NZT)
Games to be played on Friday May 24, 2024
Men’s A-League All Stars v Newcastle United
Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, 7.15pm (NZT)
Women’s A-League All Stars v Arsenal
Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, 10.05pm (NZT)
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