Central Coast Mariners (1) v Newcastle United Jets (4)
Both teams will desperately be wanting to win this derby. A victory for the Mariners would put one hand on the A-League Premiership while a Newcastle win would secure the play-offs spot. Central Coast welcome back suspended defenders Tony Vidmar and Andrew Clark, and have practically a full squad to choose from. Their defence has been suspect in the last three weeks (conceding 11 goals) and will definitely need improvement if they are to win the Premiership and gain some form ahead of the play-offs, The signing of Alvin Ceccoli ahead of last week’s game should help - but it leaves manager Lawrie McKinna with a selection dilemma with all his defenders available.

Newcastle have had a patchy run lately and will be looking to secure consecutive wins, which have been elusive for most of this season. Defender Adam Griffiths is suspended for this match, while fellow defender Stephen Laybutt continues to struggle. Joel Griffiths has been a potent threat for Newcastle all season and will be a danger after two days in camp with the national team. It’s sure to be a close match that will no doubt go right down to the wire.

Queensland Roar (2) v Sydney FC (3)
A loss for either side will see their chances of winning the Premiership fade away while giving their opposition a lift ahead of the play-offs. Queensland welcome back veteran pair Craig Moore and Danny Tiatto, who have proven to be solid for Queensland, with Moore a rock in defence throughout the season. Also returning is young star Michael Zullo, who has proven his credentials since being given his chance by manager Frank Farina. Queensland have a poor record at home and this is something that will have to be rectified before they can win the league.

Sydney are hunting league history as they aim to be the first club to be undefeated away from home over a whole season. This is in part due to the club’s resurgence under new manager John Kosmina. Young star Mark Milligan makes his return in a move sure to strengthen the defence, while Michael Bridges could be playing one of his last matches for the club as his loan spell draws to a close. Sydney have lacked innovation up front in the last few weeks and the addition of Bridges to the squad could definitely boost this, with Alex Brosque hitting form as well. A record crowd is expected in Brisbane for a match that a number of other clubs in the league are sure to be interested in.

Melbourne Victory (6) v Wellington Phoenix (7)
Melbourne have yet another must-win match, this time against Wellington, who for all their good work, are out of the race for the play-offs. Melbourne manager Ernie Merrick concedes his team have little chance of qualifying for the play-offs, but that won’t stop fighting for their right. After knocking off the league leaders two weeks in a row they’ll be full of confidence and seem to have found the scoring touch that won them the A-League double last season.

'A victory for the Mariners would put one hand on the A-League Premiership while a Newcastle win would secure the play-offs spot'

Wellington will feel they have a chance for this one; they were perhaps unlucky to lose to Sydney FC last week and would love to ruin Melbourne’s play-off hopes. They welcome back Tim Brown, Vince Lia and Brazilian Daniel, all of whom have played a crucial part in Wellington’s football this season. However, their captain Ross Aloisi is suspended for this match after picking up a red card last week. It will be a difficult one for a team that have struggled.

Perth Glory (8) v Adelaide United (5)
Perth’s horror season is coming to a close with some brightness showing at last. Last week's draw with the league leaders  is sure to put a spring in their step as they face a desperate Adelaide United at home, However, only one home win in over 12 months is something the Perth fans will be concerned about. To make things worse for the bottom-of-th- table side, they have lost creative midfielder Leo Bertos through suspension.

Adelaide's terrible run thas seen them slip from top of the league to out of the play-offs. They need to win this match to have any chance of making the play-offs and at the very least, the game provides them with a chance to gain some form ahead of an Asian Champions League campaign. They welcome back a quartet of players, Cassio, Robbie Cornthwaite, Nathan Burns and Dez Giraldi, who have been a big influence on this side. Burns in particular is a vital cog.