Chloe Lincoln to start for Canberra United in clash with Melbourne Victory after Keely Richards injury

The 28-year-old suffered a fractured hand at training on Thursday, the injury happening as she made a routine save during the session.

Richards will consult with a surgeon next week to determine the next course of action, with the time frame for recovery still to be determined.

The goalkeeper was only promoted to the starting side last week after sitting on the bench behind Lincoln for the first four games of the season.

Now she is back on the sidelines and Popovich is confident Lincoln will return to her best at CB Smith Reserve in Melbourne.

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"We've had some bad luck with Keeley hurting her hand at training," Popovich said.

"It was just a training incident, she went to stop a shot and felt a crack. Unfortunately it's part of the game.

"Chloe comes straight back in. I've always said it's a toss up between the two goalkeepers, who plays comes down to who trains well during the week. It's good to have a replacement like Chloe to come in. I still feel she'll be a Matilda during her career, she has a very bright future."

Canberra United will also be without versatile defender Kennedy Faulknor for the Melbourne clash. The Canadian suffered a knee injury and will miss a couple of weeks.

It's not all bad news for Popovich, however, with veteran Ellie Brush getting through her first game in 666 days unscathed.

The 34-year-old replaced Faulknor and played 45 minutes off the bench in the loss to Melbourne City at Seiffert Oval.

Brush will start against the Victory but Popovich said they will be careful to manage her minutes as she continues her comeback from two knee reconstructions.

"With Kennedy out Brushy comes straight back in," he said.

"She's our vice-captain, she slots in and knows what to do. Whether she plays 90 minutes will depend on how she's feeling and the medical staff. We're conscious of the fact she's coming back from a double ACL injury and hasn't played the full 90 minutes in close to two years.

"We're mindful of that. We want her for the rest of the season, not just one game so it's important for us to manage that appropriately."

Saturday's match shapes as a crucial affair for a Canberra United side desperate to remain in touch with the top four.

Currently sitting seventh and four points behind the sixth-placed Victory, a loss would see the gap open up.

It's a situation Canberra United are eager to avoid, but Popovich said it's still too early to panic, even if they fall on Saturday.

"It's important to stay in touch but it's not the only thing to focus on. The season is longer this year than it has been in the past. That gives us an opportunity to work on some things and focus on a longer period," he said.

"If you asked me this question last year with the shorter season I would've said, 'Yes we will struggle to make the top four if we lose this weekend'. With the longer season the result's important and we're pushing for it but it's not the be all and end all. We won't put our hands up and give up, we'll keep going and trying hard."

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