The visitors will be forced to make at least three changes for the AAMI Park clash with Michael Thwaite and Scott Jamieson away on international duty and Jacob Burns ruled out by suspension, while Liam Miller will have to undergo a fitness test on a back problem.

But Ferguson maintained the men in purple are still very capable of downing their in-form hosts.

"We are going to be stretched to the bare essentials, but we'll still put out a good strong team against Melbourne and I'm reasonably happy with where we are at the moment," he said.

"I still feel as if the squad is strong enough to go to Melbourne and get something.

"They've got (Archie) Thompson and (Mark) Milligan out and I think that will hurt them more than us losing Jamieson and Thwaite because we've got Bas van den Brink and Dean Heffernan to come in and cover."

In terms of Glory's overall performance during the first third of the regular season, meanwhile, Ferguson said he was reasonably satisfied.

But Ferguson challenged his side to display the kind of consistency that Victory have shown in taking 10 points from their past four games.

"At the beginning of the season it was all doom and gloom for Victory after the first couple of results," he said.

"But it just goes to show that if you can put a couple of results together in this league you can shoot up the table.

"We've not done that yet, we've been a bit stop-start. We could easily have got points from the three games that we've lost.

"The Mariners game wasn't great to watch, but it was a game that we maybe should have got a point from and then in the Sydney game, we were in total control for 60 minutes, we get a man sent off and we end up losing a game 2-1 that we should definitely have got something from.

"Then you look at the second half against Western Sydney and we totally dominated it and just couldn't score and dropped points.

"But compared to where we were last year at this stage, we're actually two points better off and you always try and better what you did last season.

"I think to be two points ahead of where we were at this stage last year. You've got to be happy."

The Glory coach was also quick to point out that although his side are yet to win on the road this season, they have enjoyed plenty of success in their recent away clashes with both Melbourne sides.

"We have done well down in Melbourne in the last couple of seasons," Ferguson said. "We won at Heart twice last term and drew at Victory and we're looking to continue that on Friday.

"We also went there in pre-season and did extremely well and I know people say it's only pre-season, but it still gives the boys confidence going there because it's the same team and the same personnel that you're playing against, so you know you can do it.

"You can start to see Victory getting their consistency together and building their confidence levels up nice and high and it's going to be a very tough game for us,

"But with the team that we're taking over there, we are definitely capable of doing something."