THE Newcastle Jets are poised to sign former Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Matthew Nash to a short-term deal.
Nash will train with the Jets this morning and is expected to replace Paul Henderson as the club's No.2 shot stopper.
Henderson has spent the past two months on an injury waiver for Neil Young but left on Friday to join Central Coast for the remainder of the campaign after the Mariners lost No.1 Jess van Strattan to a season-ending knee injury last week.
Nash, 28, played one A-League game for Sydney in the 2007-08 season. He also had a year at the Mariners and a loan stint at Adelaide but did not play.
A personal trainer, Nash has just completed NSW Premier League season with APIA Leichhardt and trialled with the Jets at the start of last season.
"I watched him play a couple of game for APIA and obviously had him at Sydney FC," Jets coach Branko Culina said.
"He kept a clean sheet for me against Perth when Clint Bolton was on national team duty.
"We need an experienced goalkeeper and I'm fairly confident he will be fine.
"He is certainly the best keeper in the NSW Premier League."
In other news from the injury front, Chinese striker Zhang Shou has resumed full training and is on track to make his A-League debut for Jets against surprise packets Brisbane Roar at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Sunday.
Zhang aggravated a calf problem shortly after arriving in Newcastle three weeks ago and had been on light duties until yesterday.
"It's good to have Zhang back on the field," Jets coach Branko Culina said.
"Every training session he has will be better for him and us. We are lacking a bit of bite up front.
"If he comes through the week he is a definite option, whether he starts or plays off the bench."
Ruben Zadkovich (hamstring) and Adam D'Apuzzo (ankle) also trained with the main group yesterday and are certainties for Sunday.
"Ruben is a good athlete and doesn't need as much time as the others," Culina said.
"Maybe his touch on the ball needs a little more, but we have four sessions to go and I'm sure he will be OK as long as he stays sound."
But doubt remains over the fitness of Nikolai Topor-Stanley (knee) and Jobe Wheelhouse (knee).
Topor-Stanley is awaiting results of an MRI scan. The imposing centre-back missed the 1-0 loss to Perth 10 days ago with a hamstring strain and has since sustained a knee problem.
Wheelhouse had a cortisone injection in his right knee on Thursday and hopes to be back on the training pitch on Thursday.
Culina said he would "wait and see" how Wheelhouse progressed over the next two days but is almost resigned to being without Topor-Stanley.
Ben Kantarovski will again deputise for Topor-Stanley.
Email a friend