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Rojas ready to step up for Victory in A-L

3 minute read

After Robbie Kruse's latest injury blow, Marco Rojas says he can step up as a player and leader in Melbourne Victory's jam-packed end to the A-League season.

ROBBIE KRUSE.
ROBBIE KRUSE. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

With Ola Toivonen departed and Robbie Kruse sidelined, Marco Rojas is ready to step up and lead Melbourne Victory in their final games of the A-League season.

Tenth-placed Victory have five regular-season games left but will be without Kruse, who has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury.

Rojas, 28, says he and fellow forward Andrew Nabbout expect to bear responsibility as scorers and leaders.

"It'll definitely be on us but I don't think that's anything out of the norm," the New Zealand international told reporters on Wednesday.

"With experience comes the responsibility to perform and to inspire those around you and we've got a pretty young squad at the moment so we'll definitely have to step up and help fill (Kruse's) boots.

"And also whoever comes in, we'll have to step up and make sure they feel comfortable right from the get-go that they can comfortably know that we're all behind them, we're supporting them.

"Then they can produce their best performance and as a team - all 11 of us - we can maybe plug the gaps that Robbie's left."

Victory sit 10 points short of the finals places but Rojas said their focus was beyond simply inconveniencing their opponents.

"Our duty is to win as many games as we possibly can and to try and build an exciting style of football for the last few games and wherever that takes us, it takes us," he said.

"We know where we sit, we know what kind of season we're coming from and we can only do what's in our hands - and that is to play good football over the next five games."

When Rojas signed in January, he was gradually introduced to match play, making just six appearances and four starts before the season suspension.

But before Saturday's clash with Western United, the winger said he felt fit and ready for a jam-packed end to the season.

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