The skilful Argentinean was hampered early in the week by a niggling groin problem, and despite training with the main squad in United’s final session this morning, coach Rini Coolen made the decision to leave Flores behind.
 
Coolen and Flores were in lengthy discussion after training but the Reds boss erred on the side of caution for his star number 10, especially with the Reds backing up their trip to Brisbane with a home game against Perth Glory on Wednesday.
 
“Flores wanted to play tomorrow but we took the decision not to put him on the pitch,” Coolen said. “I think it’s a real smart decision.

"We built him up for this training session, he’s not 100 per cent fit…of course he wants to play and do something good for our team, but after talking with him personally, we both took the decision not to play with him and make sure he is ready for our next game.”
 
Coolen said it was not worth risking Flores, who has been a key part of United’s success this season, despite tomorrow night’s match against the Roar being for top spot and to see if the Reds can continue their unbeaten record at Suncorp.
 
“For me it is not a problem if Flores is 100 per cent fit, and if he can train our last training session then Flores is good enough to play with us," he said.

"But at the end of that training, you have to be sure he feels 100 per cent and if it doesn’t, then it’s smart to speak with the player and take the decision together. That’s what we did, so it’s the best for the team and definitely the best for Flores,” Coolen said.
 
“If you see the situation now for him, he needs a few days more, and if we give him those few days then he will be 100 per cent fit for our next game, so I think he can play Wednesday, and I prefer to have Flores on the pitch 100 per cent fit.”
 
If the build up to last Friday night’s match against Melbourne Victory was not big enough for the Reds, this upcoming top of the table clash against red hot Roar is arguably even bigger.
 
While Flores joins Mathew Leckie on United’s unavailable list, club captain Travis Dodd is back from an Achilles injury, although Coolen is likely to again use the explosive midfielder off the bench.
 
“I’m happy that Travis is back in our squad, but we know it will just be for part of the game, and that it won’t be smart to start with him,” Coolen said.
 
“I’ll keep him on the bench and then he can come on in the second half, and we can build him up for the rest of the games…but I hope he can stay fit.”
 
Roar shot to the top of the table after a commanding 4-1 away win over Wellington Phoenix on Wednesday to send them one point ahead of United and unseating them at the top for the first time since early September, although the Reds have a game in hand.
 
This has set up a top of the table blockbuster in the A-League for the first time this season, and the Reds have reason to feel confident heading into the encounter, having yet to lose at Suncorp Stadium in their eight games at the venue, which included a 1-1 draw when the sides met back in Week 7.
 
Unable to call on both Flores and Leckie, who scored the Reds’ goal in that game, Coolen will need others to step up, the recently returned Joe Keenan one player who is set to come straight in, while striker Sergio van Dijk will be hoping he can prove a match winner against his former side.
 
“We are focused, concentrated and ready for the game, but we have to accept that we have to play with the players that are available, and of course some things are different when you can’t play with Leckie, you can’t play with Flores,” Coolen said.
 
“But still we have a lot of confidence, we’ve played a lot of good football so we have to accept the situation and get everything out of the players who are available and I have a positive feeling about that.”
 
Finding the back of the net away from home this season has not been a problem for the Reds, who have scored 11 goals in seven matches.

But while the Reds have scored more goals than any other team in the league this season, Roar have had more shots, including more on target, than any other side, and they are starting to make these chances count.
 
As he has stated all season, Coolen says that while sometimes a draw away from home is a good result, the Reds go into every contest with the intention of taking all three points, and it will be no different against the Roar.
 
United could be aided by the Roar’s short turnaround time from their midweek trip to Wellington, and Coolen says there could be a possibility of the Reds taking advantage of Brisbane’s heavy schedule late in the game.
 
“They have a lot of confidence, they play good football and get a lot of ball possession, but of course we have more days off than they have, so it could make a difference at the end of the game,” Coolen said.
 
“I think for us it is about building up the game, find out if we can control it and don’t lose so much in the beginning, and then maybe we can decide it at the end of the game.”
 
Just as this match ends a run of three games in seven days for Roar, it signals the start of a three games in seven days run for the Reds, and Coolen knows it is a crucial time in United’s season.
 
“It’s important because that’s what Brisbane has now, they don’t have as much time to recover, so that’s what we have in the next week,” Coolen said.
 
“A lot of teams have it so we have to handle it, that’s the reason you have to be careful with players who are not 100 per cent fit because they are three important games so we’ll see from every game what happens.”