With no A-League fixture last weekend, Fowler headed back to England for a few days but was expected back at training today.

But with a flight from England to be followed by the trek from Perth to Townsville, former colleague Ufuk Talay is hoping it will be a less than fresh Fowler that takes to the field.

"I think that might be an issue, it's a long way away," Talay told The Townsville Bulletin. "Hopefully he is tired when he comes here and doesn't perform to the best of his ability."

The Fury man did add that Fowler's journey Down Under was probably made easier by a degree of comfort.

"If Robbie Fowler's flying first-class, (maybe jetlag won't be) a problem," he joked.

Not that Talay is underestimating the damage that Fowler - jetlagged or not - can cause to the opposition.

"He's a great player - maybe he's not the same player he was 10 years ago, but he can still thread those balls though and create opportunities for other people," he added.

"It's going to be a tough game and we are going to enjoy having him here."

In other Fury news, Eric Akoto has announced his decision to retire from international football.