Leckie, who only debuted back in September, has quickly become a crucial member of the Reds line-up which is a sparkling endorsement of his talent but a poor reflection on the team's scoring options.

The 19-year-old said his left knee, which has some ligament damage, was feeling 'good enough to play' but was trying to organise a time to have it fixed.

"At some stage I will have to have an operation but we are just trying to find the time where I can have some time off so I don't have to miss many games," he said.

"I've been speaking to 'Viddie' (coach Aurelio Vidmar) a couple of times about the situation and we are still trying to organise when the best time is to get the time off ... but we still haven't decided yet."

Leckie is keen to continue his good form in the A-League and said he's not causing any further complications by playing with the injury.

He added, "My knee is actually OK at the moment, I've been strapping it, the medical staff have been working with it really well and it's not too bad.

"I spoke to the doctor and he said that the injury that it is it can't get any worse. If you feel anything or it's inflamed then pull it aside and see how it is but at the moment there's been no problems."

Bottom-placed Adelaide will need Leckie, Cristiano, Travis Dodd and all of its attacking players firing on Saturday night if it's to beat Gold Coast at Skilled Park.

Gold Coast is third on the ladder and has a striker in Shane Smeltz who's scored more goals than the Reds entire team this season.

Vidmar said his side had been refreshed by a 13-day break from the game but was now fired-up to perform in this must-win clash.

"I don't think we've got too many lives left, it's a crucial game for us so we'll go out there with a positive frame of mind. I think the little rest we've had has done us the world of good and we've looked quite sharp and very enthusiastic over the last couple of days," Vidmar said.

"We know the situation we are in. It's certainly going to be a tough game, they are coming off a fantastic win against Brisbane, we know the types of player they've got in their team."