Squad lists are locked in for Matchweek 4 of the 2026/27 A-League Men season, and the headline moves cut both ways: Auckland FC striker Sam Cosgrove is back after serving his one-match ban, Perth Glory captain Tom Lawrence is out after accepting a one-game suspension of his own, and Western Sydney Wanderers have lost defender Anthony Pantazopoulos to a hamstring injury.
The round opens on Friday, November 6 at Allianz Stadium, where Sydney FC host the Central Coast Mariners at 7:40pm AEDT, and runs through Sunday evening at Coopers Stadium with the Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory derby. Four fixtures sit in between, spread across Saturday and Sunday.
Fresh faces return as bans bite
Sydney FC have two significant ins for the Mariners visit: goalkeeper Gus Hoefsloot and defender Jacob Farrell both return from injury, while Marin France has been promoted into the extended squad. Sandy Zaverdinos has not been selected. Abel Walatee (ankle) and Jake Hollman (hamstring) remain unavailable.
Central Coast name an extended squad of their own, with John-Kymani Gordon promoted in. The notable absence is Socceroos defender Trent Sainsbury, ruled out injured.
Auckland FC welcome Cosgrove back into the squad after he served a one-game suspension, alongside promoted pair James Mitchell and Matthew D’Hotman, when they host the Wellington Phoenix at Go Media Stadium on Saturday at 3pm AEDT. Luka Vicelich and Aaron Cartwright drop out, and Cameron Howeison (calf), Aaron Calver (ankle) and Oliver Middleton (knee) are unavailable. The Phoenix get Isaac Hughes back from injury, omit Anaru Cassidy, and list Fin Roa Conchie, Hughes and Jayden Smith as unavailable.
Perth Glory’s Saturday night clash with the Newcastle Jets at HBF Park (9:45pm AEDT) carries the round’s biggest disciplinary story: skipper Tom Lawrence misses out after accepting a one-match ban. Trent Ostler comes into the squad, while Charbel Shamoon, Matt Dench, Henry Hore, Calem Nieuwenhof and Brian Kaltak are all unavailable. The Jets, whose unavailable list runs to more than a dozen names including Will Kennedy (foot), Oscar Fryer (ACL) and Max Cooper (foot), bring Zane Schreiber in and leave Jesse Hill out.
City and Wanderers face multiple injury absences
Melbourne City host the Wanderers at AAMI Park on Saturday at 7:40pm AEDT, and their team news is the most dramatic of the round. New midfielder Matheus Rossetto has been named after recovering from injury, with Peter Antoniou promoted, but City are missing five players: Macklin Freke (groin), Max Caputo (hamstring), Ben Mazzeo (ankle), Alessandro Lopane (hamstring) and Ryan Kalms (knee).
Western Sydney’s list is shorter but stings: Pantazopoulos is ruled out with a hamstring injury and Awan Lual is also sidelined with one. The Wanderers name an unchanged squad otherwise, with one player to be omitted.
Macarthur Bulls host Brisbane Roar at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Sunday at 3pm AEDT with two fresh ins — Kai Kennedy and Harry Politidis both return from injury — but six players unavailable: Jonathan Aspropotamitis, Bernardo Oliveira, James Hilton, Kosta Grozos, Jing Reec and Will McKay, all injured. Brisbane promote Niall Thom and Nelson Deng, list no outs, and have only Dimitri Valkanis (leg) unavailable.
The round closes at Coopers Stadium on Sunday at 5pm AEDT. Adelaide United name an unchanged squad with no ins or outs, though Bart Vriends, Jake Najdovski, Dylan Pierias, Jacob Brazete and Ryan White are unavailable. Melbourne Victory bring Oliver Dragicevic and William Kengni into their squad, omit Jack Mihailidis, and lose Harrison Shillington to suspension, with Joshua Inserra injured.
Lawrence and Cosgrove, two suspensions, two very different weeks
The symmetry is hard to miss. Cosgrove has served his ban and returns for a home derby against the Phoenix; Lawrence has accepted his and sits out a home fixture against the Jets. For Glory, already carrying a lengthy unavailable list that includes Kaltak and Nieuwenhof, losing their captain for even one match compounds the selection squeeze. For Auckland, a proven striker coming back into the squad at Go Media Stadium is the round’s most direct upgrade.
What happens over the next four days will shape the early table. Friday night at Allianz Stadium starts it, Sunday evening at Coopers Stadium ends it, and every squad list in between tells you who will be there to decide it.
