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Adelaide United have added three more players to their injured list ahead of Friday night's A-League game against Central Coast Mariners.
Adelaide United's injury woes have worsened with three more players unavailable for Friday night's A-League clash against Central Coast.
Ryan Strain (hamstring), Ryan Kitto (thigh) and Michael Marrone (abdominal) will also be sidelined from the Coopers Stadium fixture.
The trio all play at right-back, complicating United coach Gertjan Verbeek's preparations.
"We have our problems," Verbeek told reporters on Thursday.
"But I think still we have a team that can beat Central Coast - but they have to believe in it, they have to work hard."
While Strain tweaked a hamstring in Adelaide's away loss to Brisbane last week, Kitto and Marrone were hurt at training.
Kitto copped a kick to a thigh while Marrone was elbowed in the stomach while practising defending set pieces. Both blows caused bleeding.
But Verbeek said he wasn't considering altering fifth-placed Adelaide's training regime in the wake of the fresh injuries.
"You have to make a difference between contact injuries and muscle injuries," he said.
"We have a lot of contact injuries and that's a little bit sad because you can't do nothing about that.
"I believe you play the way to train. If you train without contact, you will never make contact in the game so it's a part of the training.
"Sometimes you are unlucky."
Striker George Blackwood returns and Verbeek has promoted novice duo Yared Abetew and Noah Smith, who have featured in one league game each.
Fifteen-year-old midfielder Mohamed Toure, who made his A-League debut from the bench last weekend, is also in the frame for more game time against the 10th-placed Mariners, who are ahead of last-placed Newcastle only by goal difference.
STATS THAT MATTER
* Adelaide have won seven of the past nine league games against Central Coast at Coopers Stadium.
* The Mariners have lost their past six away games, conceding 15 goals in those games.
* United haven't drawn in their past 16 league games, with 11 wins and five losses.
