Today's training run will be vital for coach Branko Culina as he strives to put together a team from a squad beset with injury.

The lack of experience for the Sky Blues match at the SFS is the most pressing issue for Culina. Marquee man Fabio Vignaroli is unavailable through suspension, and veteran strikers Michael Bridges (hamstring) and Sasho Petrovski (ankle) will have fitness tests today.

Goalkeeper Ben Kennedy (groin) and midfielder Ben Kantarovski (groin) are also yet to prove their fitness.

Culina said last night that the possible loss of his senior men was his biggest concern.

"I don't want to write any of them off until we train tomorrow, and if we're in the same situation tomorrow, then we might panic, but at the moment we won't go into panic mode," he said. "We still have a bit of experience, but we are short of experience when you take out Vignaroli, Petrovski and Bridges."

Sydney are second after 15 rounds, but Culina said his former club were the premier side in the A-League.

"They are a good side, well organised, well coached with good players. To me they're still the team to beat.

"If we have both of them [Bridges and Vignaroli] missing after tomorrow, especially against the best team in the country, it's going to be a challenge."

The lasting effect of the heat in the 1-0 loss to Wellington on Sunday is unknown.

"Some players seemed a little flat [at training], whether that was because of the heat or whether it was because we lost and everyone was still in the dumps.

"There's no doubt when you play in those conditions it does take an enormous amount out of you."

Meanwhile, injured striker Marko Jesic has been officially ruled out for the rest of the season.

In other A-League news, Gold Coast defender Sebastiaan Van Den Brink has had his ban for touching a referee cut from four weeks to one, Sydney's Swiss defender, Stephan Keller, has extended his contract for a further year and Mariners defender Dean Heffernan has signed with new club Melbourne Heart.