Perth Glory coach Richard Garcia says he may have to "pull the reins" on Diego Castro to ensure the star Spaniard doesn't get injured before the A-League season.
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Castro has played full minutes in Glory's two Asian Champions League games in the Qatar hub, which included Wednesday's heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Ulsan Hyundai.
Glory's next assignment is against the same Korean side on Friday - giving Garcia's men just two days between games.
Perth have another match on Monday and Garcia is keen to swing the changes for Friday's clash to avoid any burnout.
Castro, at 38 years of age, is tipped to be among the changes.
"Look, he's a warrior," Garcia said.
"He's the type of guy who always wants to play and you almost need to pull the reins back on him and keep him out for his own good.
"He is 38, but he's got the mindset of a 21-year-old.
"It's so good to have senior professionals who are itching to get out there.
"We are going to have to make a few changes (to the side) to make sure people's bodies are not breaking down."
Midfielder Neil Kilkenny is expected to get more game time after coming on in the 79th minute against Ulsan in his return from injury.
Defender Osama Malik, who played the second half, is another option to get more minutes as he builds up fitness.
Glory are bottom of Group F with no wins from their three games.
But the emergence of a host of youngsters has been a huge positive.
One of the emerging talents is 16-year-old defender Josh Rawlins, who has held his own in Glory's past two matches.
Rawlins is on school holidays and said he and the other youth players have been put through their paces during the ACL - both on and off the field.
"A few of us have had to sing in front of the rest of the squad," Rawlins said with a smile when asked about the time spent with the senior squad.
"I sang 'I Want to Dance with Somebody'."
Rawlins is yet to even make his A-League debut, with Garcia impressed by how the youngster has coped with the intensity of the ACL.
"His football speaks for itself," Garcia said.
"He's always been a young man who has shown his maturity on the park, and he continues to do so.
"He's had a fantastic couple of games, and like the rest of the young guys really stood up and tried to stake a claim for a position in the A-League squad."
Australian Associated Press
