Injury enforced absences to starting players Josh Risdon, Ersan Gülüm and Panagiotis Kone, Aaron Calver and Brandon Hamill, combined with the exit of Connor Chapman and imminent departure Scott McDonald, had ravaged United ahead of Friday night – forcing Mark Rudan to improvise.

It meant starting debuts for Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Seb Pasquali and one Valentino Yuel, as well as A-League debuts for Thiel Iradukunda and Josh Cavallo.

Starting up front alongside veteran Besart Berisha, it had been a long time coming for Yuel; whose barnstorming pre-season would likely have seen him start in week one of the season had he not suffered an ankle injury on the eve of round one.  

“It [the injury] was a big setback for me,” Yuel told FTBL.“Having to start from scratch again.

“I felt like I was starting with everyone from pre-season and I felt like I was adapting to the new environment. The setback was my biggest challenge in stepping up to the new level.  

“The injury did take me back a bit but I feel like there’s a great team around the club, the physios and the coaching staff, my teammates that wanted to help me get back to where I needed to be and help me back as I try to hit my targets, try to adapt and try to compete an A-League level.

“It was tough, I’m just happy that I’m back playing, part of the team once again.”

Yuel, 25, was one of the first signings in United’s history, plucked from the ranks of NPL Victoria side Bentleigh Greens – the club which United assistant John Anastasiadis was also recruited from – in May.

Despite only playing 12 games for the Greens before he departed for the A-League, the attacker had already netted eight times in 2019 as well as providing numerous assists for teammates and numerous headaches for opposition coaches and analysts.

Yuel had made the move to the Greens from NPL SA side Adelaide City at the end of 2018 in large part because of the step-up in quality and belief that a such a move would put him on A-League radars - a hunch that ultimately proved accurate. 

The step-up from the semi-pro NPL to professional A-League, though, has been an even bigger leap.

“I spoke to some people before I came in, before I started playing,” said Yuel. “It’s being as disciplined as I can… trying to tick off all the one-percenters.

“Getting enough sleep, staying hydrated and looking after my body and doing what I can to be able to give 100%, especially on the training park, to compete and be selected in the squad.

"In a professional squad, there are a lot more numbers, there are a lot more players you’re competing with every week.

“So that’s been the biggest challenge, trying to tick off all the one-percenters and trying to add that to my game and be the best that I can be every day.

“I was fairly disciplined [before he signed]. I guess fast food was a bit of a habit where now I have to look after my diet and have to eat a lot more lean food and try to consume food that’s going to give me enough fuel to let me be at 100% when I’m training.

“So, I’d say that was a habit I had to break, which wasn’t too hard I guess.”