Teenage sensation Nestory Irankunda is a "long-way off" being able to last the duration of A-League Men games, according to his Adelaide United coach Carl Veart.
The 17-year-old came off the bench last week and found the net to secure a 2-1 win over Brisbane, although the forward was disappointed with his performance.
"I'm not too happy with my work rate," Irankunda said after the victory.
"It's a reason why I haven't been playing many games."
Reds coach Veart said Irankunda must improve his stamina before he can start games for his side.
"His match conditioning and match fitness are a long way off where they need to be," he told reporters on Friday.
"That's totally expected for a young kid when he gets played at a very high level."
Veart added it had taken some time for Irankunda to grasp that he must be patient for his opportunities, saying he's "starting to understand that now".
The fourth-placed Reds will take on 11th-placed Western United on Saturday at Melbourne's AAMI Park.
Veart will be looking to strengthen his side's finals hopes, as he attempts to continue their four-game unbeaten streak.
Adelaide have won their last two games against the defending champions, outscoring them 6-3 across that term.
Despite winning the 2022 premiership, Western have had a disappointing season so far - but the Reds won't be pumping the brakes.
"They're starting to put some good runs together of games," Veart said.
"They're a good side and, if they turn up on their day, they can make it very difficult for us."
The match will be Western's 100th game since its foundation in 2019 and head coach John Aloisi says a big home-ground crowd could mean the difference to his squad.
"Hopefully we have a good crowd, we need it now, we need them to get behind us," Aloisi said.
"We know we have to be at our best, it'll be a tough game but every game is tough."
