Canberra United will host their fourth home match after five rounds this weekend, under yet another change to the W-League schedule.
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Vicki Linton's outfit will meet the Western Sydney Wanderers in a round-six clash at Viking Park on Saturday, replacing their postponed trip to Perth.
It's the latest change to United's schedule, with W-League officials making weekly adjustments to accommodate for coronavirus-related challenges.
United will be sweating on the fitness of Kendall Fletcher and goalkeeper Sally James after they missed Sunday's one-all draw with Perth Glory due to injury.
The absence of Fletcher paved the way for local junior Emma Ilijoski to make her W-League debut, with the 18-year-old defender making a crucial clearance, 45 touches and winning three of four duels.
"It was a surreal experience, especially being able to make my debut at home in front of my family, friends and the fans," Ilijoski said.
"It was everything I thought it would be are more. It was awesome, just the excitement and adrenaline going in there... as soon as the game started, it was like any other game. It was such a proud moment.
"Vicki said to enjoy myself and play my game, I'm obviously playing in there for a reason so she instilled a lot of confidence in me. As soon as I got my first touch of the game it was good.
"It gave me a lot of confidence going forward and I was really thankful for that."
Ilijoski had a training agreement with United before being elevated to a scholarship contract, alongside Sasha Grove, ahead of the club's season opener.
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It came after she spent a week training with a Football Australia talent identification camp in Canberra, with the Academy product saying it helped provide a foundation to build from during preseason.
"It was good because it was early in preseason. Being able to come back and build on that solid week of training, I thought I could bring a lot from that into the team and I hope I did that," Ilijoski said.
"I was so grateful to even have that training agreement, it was really exciting for me. Being able to get a scholarship and then start was a dream come true."
W-LEAGUE ROUND SIX
Saturday: Canberra United v Western Sydney Wanderers at Viking Park, 5.05pm.
Lucie Bertoldo
Lucie Bertoldo is a sports reporter for the Canberra Times.
Lucie Bertoldo is a sports reporter for the Canberra Times.
