Wollongong Wolves' depth to be tested against 'tough' Sydney Olympic

There were a number of casualties in the Wolves' 3-0 win against Manly last round. Midfield duo Chris McStay (knee) and Samuel Riak (shoulder) both suffered injuries against United, whilst attacker Takumi Ofuka sustained a broken toe.

Read more: Arcaba goes back to his roots after signing with Coniston

On top of this, one of the team's best so far this season in Walter Scott will miss the clash against Olympic due to suspension from an accumulation of yellow cards.

It presents a tough test for coach David Carney as they go up against an Olympic side on Saturday that boasts incredible firepower such as former A-League players Roy O'Donovan, Fabio Ferreira and Nick Fitzgerald.

Despite the magnitude of the challenge, Carney said he was not fazed due to his mantra of backing his 'kids' for the entirely of the season already.

"This is going to be a very tough game for us," he said.

"But it's one where the young and the fringe players need to step up. So we will give it a good crack, but it's definitely going to be difficult.

Read more: Pappas departs Flame, effective immediately

"They've [the players that come into the side] got to take it. I've been doing that with players that have performed in the past like 'Tommy' [Tomas Butkovic], Harrison [Buesnel] and Ethan [Beaven]. I don't care how old you are or whatever, if you take your chance, you can play."

Carney added that he had been impressed with his troops all season, but particularly the last two games with a 0-0 draw against a strong Sydney United side and the last win against Manly.

He said that the side's tenth place standing on the ladder was not a reflection on how much the team had progressed in such a short space of time.

"I think it's one of those seasons where we should really be further up on the table," he said.

"I think the performances have been there but we threw away the points against NWS Spirit and conceded a late penalty to Sydney FC. It's just a couple of individual errors that's killed us but we're learning from them."

Kickoff is 6:30pm.

Read more: Walk the Field event in Wollongong to help break down barriers

Our news app has had a makeover, making it faster and giving you access to even more great content. Download The Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store and Google Play.