Despite being played as a midfielder for the Qantas Socceroos, Sterjovski has been signed by  Glory primarily as a striker to replace the departed Nikita Rukavytsya.

However a hamstring injury to midfielder Wayne Srhoj and a foot injury to right back Scott Neville could conspire to send Sterjovski back to the centre with back-up midfielder Jamie Coyne possibly required to shore up the defence.

Neville's foot complaint was only minor though and the 20-year-old National Youth League product has trained for the last two days. But Mitchell was still taking a cautious approach, saying Neville may be used more as a substitute against the Reds.

However the good news for Perth is that both central defender Andy Todd (back) and right midfielder Adriano Pellegrino (groin) have completed all their training sessions this week and are almost certain to start.

Mitchell hailed Sterjovski's versatility wand warned it could pose some problems for Reds' coach Aurelio Vidmar's planning.

"I'd like to play Mile up front all the time you know," Mitchell said when asked whether Eugene Dadi and Branko Jelic may be the starting strikers on Friday night. "But I had a good chat with him and he's very much a team player.

"It's not all about him scoring goals, it's about the team winning and that's what makes him such a great character.

"He said he'll play anywhere that he's told and what a great attitude for a great player."

Whatever positions the players take, there's sure to be some spice in this clash after Adelaide beat Glory in all three matches played last year.

A 2-1 loss last October involved a particularly controversial penalty, while the 1-0 victory in last year's Boxing Day clash all but finished off Perth's finals chances.

Adelaide pinching influential midfielder Paul Reid from Glory's grasp just before last season adds to the niggle, while Mitchell in recent days has compared Adelaide's gameplan to retro English football from the 1980s.

"Adelaide, they're pretty competitive," Mitchell said. "They hit a lot of long balls you know, play a bit of an English-style game, try and get balls in behind you.

"We're a more patient build up side and we like to play football, so from that point of view, we know what to expect.

"The boys are looking forward to the game. They know Adelaide will be a tough test for us but we're looking forward to the challenge.

"Adelaide haven't lost in the first round from what I've been hearing so that's a challenge for us again."

For Adelaide, striker Lloyd Owusu has been named after making a miraculous recovery from a bout of swine flu that was meant to keep him out until Round 4.

But if Owusu plays, he'll more than likely be used sparingly as a substitute, while the newly-signed Mark Rudan won't be available to take on former FC Vaduz team-mate Dadi, as the defender is waiting on a clearance from the Lichtenstein-based club.