Sydney to recall Emerton, Culina

The veterans missed the 2-2 draw with Newcastle Jets last Saturday - Emerton failed to recover from a back strain, and Culina was rested - but Sydney FC coach Frank Farina wants them in his side with the team on the edge of the play-offs berths with eight games of the regular season remaining.

"He was starting to feel fatigued," Farina said of the decision to rest Culina, 32, from the Jets game.

"There's no major injury ... he was mentally and a bit physically tired.

"He'd played, I think, five times for 90 minutes and done well, and I think he needed a rest."

Farina said that he expected Emerton to train on Friday after receiving an injection to a disc in his lower back last week.

Defenders Tiago Calvano and Fabio are available after each serving a one-game ban, but Terry McFlynn will be absent after his red card against the Jets.

Sydney FC has been in roaring form at Allianz Stadium, with their 7-1 demolition of Wellington Phoenix following hard-fought wins over Melbourne Heart and Central Coast Mariners.

The Sky Blues, meanwhile, defeated Tahiti 4-0 in a practice match on Wednesday.

Striker Joel Griffiths, handed a three-match suspension last week for abusing a match official, scored twice, with Joel Chianese and Alec Urosevski also on the scoresheet.