New Brisbane Roar coach Ange Postecoglou goes into his first home game in charge hoping to snap a run of four consecutive defeats, but knows that his injury-ravaged side face a stern test against a Newcastle Jets outfit who broke their own run of six games without a win by defeating Central Coast Mariners in last week’s F3 derby.

The home side’s cause will not be helped by the fact that Brazilian striker Reinaldo has picked up a hamstring strain and is set to miss at least two games, but there is good news regarding skipper Craig Moore who returns from suspension to bolster Roar’s overworked rearguard. Fellow veterans Charlie Miller, Danny Tiatto and Bob Malcolm are also set to return to the squad, while exciting youngster Tommy Oar will be looking to lift spirits among the Suncorp Stadium faithful after earning the October nomination for the 2009/2010 Young Footballer of the Year Award.

Contractual issues have dominated the Jets’ build-up to Friday night’s clash, meanwhile, with Tarek Elrich penning a new two-year deal and club skipper Matt Thompson revealing that he too is hoping to pledge his future to the Hunter Valley club within the next two weeks. On the injury front, Ljubo Milicevic continues to battle a heel injury and is unlikely to make the trip north, while Adam D’Apuzzo has been struggling with a calf problem but is expected to recover in time to feature.

If the likes of Miller and Tiatto do return to the starting line-up, there is no reason why Brisbane cannot see off the challenge of a Newcastle side who have yet to register a win on the road this season. It’s unlikely to be pretty, but the home side may just scrape home and get their stuttering season back on track.

Prediction: Brisbane Roar 2-1 Newcastle Jets