Valeri has not played in the A-League since November 28 last year when he was diagnosed with an inflammatory brain condition that affected his balance and co-ordination.

The club captain’s absence in the latter half of the season saw the reigning champions' title challenge slip before they were eliminated by Brisbane in the finals.

Speaking of the opening round fixture, Valeri said the Blues were ready to fire against the club that ended their 2015/16 season.

“We just want to get three points,” he said. “We go out to win every game and that’s our objective and that’s the statement we want to make.”

“Last year has been and gone. I’m feeling great. It’s great that the team is doing so well. It’s important for me personally to feel good. But the fact that I can contribute to the team and the team is doing well, that’s fantastic.”

Victory will be without Kosta Barbarouses and Gui Finkler who have joined Phoenix.

Valeri said he was excited to see what returning stars Marco Rojas and James Troisi would offer against Brisbane in their absence.

“You can’t replace a Kosta and a Gui Finkler,” he said. “They are fantastic players in their own right who bring qualities to the game that no other player can. But we’ve got two new players in Jimmy Troisi and Marcos Rojas and we’ve got a young player Seb Pasquali who can play a part in it.

“So we’ve got a lot of versatility in there - we’ve got two new players who are bringing totally different things. I’m excited to see where those two can arrive because they have been two players that have impressed me in the pre-season.”

One player missing against Roar will be former Chelsea star Michael Essien, who after a drawn out transfer saga, rejected the chance to play in the A-League.

And while Valeri appreciates the quality of the Ghanaian international, the one time Socceroo preferred to focus on the current Victory squad.

“To be honest this is something that I don’t discuss,” he said. “Not because it’s something that I don’t want to - it would have been great to have a player like Essien here with all his wealth of experience.

"It didn’t work out for whatever reasons but I’m focused on who’s in the change room and how I can be influential and how we can help each other achieve the objectives which is winning on Friday night.”