JETS caretaker coach Craig Deans has been impressed with the skill and smarts Ali Abbas has shown on the training patch.
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It's a matter of whether the former Iraqi international still has the extra yard of pace needed to cause opposition defences problems in the A-League.
After two weeks training with the Jets, Abbas will start in the No.10 role in place of Ramy Najjarine (cork) against Melbourne City in a hit out behind closed doors at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
Abbas made his A-League debut for the Jets in 2009 and spent three seasons in Newcastle before successful stints at Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix as well as two seasons in Korea at Pohang.
However, the now 34-year-old hasn't played top-flight football for two years.
He spent four weeks on trial at Macarthur before joining the Jets.
"He has been out of football at this level for a little while now," Deans said. "It's a matter of finding his feet again and getting his legs up to the speed of the game. He came on last week against Macarthur when we were down 3-2 and made a little bit of a difference in a good way. I expect him to play the way he always has. He is a clever little player."
Najjarine suffered a cork in his calf in the 3-all draw with Macarthur nine days ago.
"He got a kick in his calf and it hasn't settled down," Deans said. "At this stage of the pre-season, there is no point taking a risk with him.
"Ali is comfortable in there. He is a different type of player to Ramy but he has some similar qualities. The fact he is on trial, we need to throw him into a game and see where he is at.
"Ali's discipline is on another level. You can ask him to do something in particular and he will do it to a T. He will get instructions on the defensive side of the game. He has some things to work on and follow. In that position, you need to have a little bit of freedom and be creative."
Abbas is the only change from the draw against Macarthuran in which the Jets led 1-0 and then came back twice to share the spoils.
"We have been working on the things we didn't execute so well in the Macarthur game." Deans said. "Obviously, we have to tighten up a few areas.
"We will start working on the defensive side of things from next week on. At the moment, the focus is what we are doing with the ball and trying to create as many chances as we can."
The Jets have improved with every match and will need to lift again against a City side spearheaded by Jamie Maclaren and new arrival Andrew Nabbout.
"They obviously made the grand final last year and have been a strong team in the A-League for the past two or three years," Deans said. "All the games we had against them last year were difficult. Again it is probably a step up from that point of view.
"We now have a game every week against an A-League opposition. It's a critical part of the pre-season and we want to get into the habit of winning games. By the time round one comes we want to have had two, three, four good wins and build up confidence."
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James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
