Aloisi trained hard and looked in good spirits at a sweltering Sydney Football Stadium this morning and Kosmina confirmed the striker would be part of the matchday squad, albeit Aloisi wouldn't start.

Kosmina said: "Johnny will come off the bench this week.

"He's nowhere near fit enough to start a game but he's got through two or three sharp training sessions this week which has been good. He's looked quite sharp so I'm happy to give him a go.

"His base isn't there to start but we'll give him a good half hour at least and see how it goes."

Aloisi's last outing at Sydney Football Stadium was a miserable experience as he missed two sitters and was jeered by the home fans.

Speculation about his future at the club has rarely been out of the headlines since but Kosmina doesn't appear to view Sunday's clash as a 'goodbye' for the player.

Asked whether he'd had further discussions with the player about next year, Kosmina said: "There is a 'next year' with him. Johnny is under contract.

"No-one ever said that he wasn't going to be here next year. It was purely speculation from you blokes (the media).

"I've had chats with Johnny about lots of different things. If a player doesn't want to be here you can't hold a gun to his head.

"But Johnny wants to be here and I'm happy he wants to be here. I think the club's happy that he wants to be here so we look at what we do to make Johnny fit and healthy and successful next season."

As for the potential reaction of supporters to Aloisi's inclusion, Kosmina said: "Johnny is a resilient player.

"He's been around three of the best leagues in the world. I would like to think the fans would support him on the weekend."