Serbian star Milos Ninkovic has been overlooked by Sydney FC in their 26-man squad for the Asian Champions League.
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The 35-year-old was a surprising omission from the Sky Blues squad, with German Alexander Baumjohann, English striker Adam Le Fondre and New Zealand forward Kosta Barbarouses the three foreign players named by coach Steve Corica.
Under ACL rules, each squad can only contain a maximum of three players from non AFC-based nations.
Ninkovic has accepted the decision, saying the lack of travel demands will enable him to stay physically and mentally sharp for Sydney's A-League season.
"There are so many games in a short period and even though I want to play, I think it's best for me to focus on retaining our Hyundai A-League championship," Ninkovic said.
"I'd rather be able to give 100 per cent every time I step on the pitch for our members and fans, and the risk of not being able to do that is higher when playing in both competitions."
Baumjohann, Ryan McGowan and Trent Buhagiar are among nine players in the squad who'll be making their ACL debuts when Sydney start their tournament against Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG at Jubilee Stadium on February 12.
The other teams in Sydney's group are Ange Postecoglou's J-League winning Yokohama F. Marinos and K-League champions Jeonbuk Hyundai.
Australian Associated Press
