Valkanis is no stranger to Victory after lining up as both a player and assistant coach for former club Adelaide United in the original Rivalry.

It will be the fourth derby of the season, including City’s 2-0 FFA Cup Semi-Final win in October.

The former South Melbourne man weighed into the expansion debate, believing it was necessary to strengthen the competition.

 “That’s definite (expanding the A-League), it’s going to happen and that’s one thing that needs to happen for the A-League to grow and develop further,” Valkanis said.

“It’s growing steadily over the years, I remember from day one and where it’s come to, but definitely expansion will make it even more exciting and not so monotonous we’re playing the same teams all the time.

“To be able play different clubs, teams, styles is what it’s about. To challenge, develop our players and coaching further and so on.”

Melbourne-born Valkanis is of Greek descent and reflected on his South Melbourne days, locking horns with rivals Melbourne Knights.

 “Back in old Olympic Park. They were huge (rivalries), coming up as a young Greek boy, playing at South Melbourne and big games,” he said.

“Having to mark people like Mark Viduka and even Francis Awaritefe who later became a teammate of mine. They were big challenges and big games.”

City boast a clean bill of health with Josh Rose omitted due to a “tactical change”.

Valkanis maintained a top two position was still mathematically possible with City sit fourth on 26 points.

Victory are on 32 points to sit second, and Valkanis said they would continue to try and control the game.

Valkanis said his team needed to adapt in stopping counter-attacks.

“It’s something you even see with Manchester City having a similar problem. We all have to adapt to teams playing the counter-attacking style,” he said.

“We need to keep working on it, we’ve focused on it quite a bit this week. We’ve been focusing on it in the past and it is one of the things the players will adapt to and will get used to.

“I don’t like talking about my past experience with Adelaide, but we had a similar problem in the first season with this style. Once it was rectified, we never looked back. It’s a different way of defending and players have to get used to it and have to be switched on.

“In our style it’s all one. There’s no time to really switch off. It’s not as simple as dropping off, defending with nine men behind the ball playing it directly long and counter-attacking.

“The style is completely different and they have to adapt to those situations, there’s mechanisms in place that we put and work on and the players will get it right, no doubt about it.”