Melbourne City coach John van 't Schip has laughed off accusations Bruno Fornaroli uses his body illegally, reminding John Aloisi he used to play the same way.

Simulating is as bad as boots-up tackling saus coach ahead of clash with Melbourne City.

Tim Cahill may have missed out on a Socceroos call up for the next World Cup qualifier but the veteran is at least named in Melbourne City's extended party for Friday night's A-League blockbuster with Brisbane Roar.

Melbourne City face their third high-profile game in seven days when they host champions Adelaide United on Friday night and flying winger Bruce Kamau could be one of several fresh faces in the line-up.

Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat has been cited for a breach of the FFA's code of conduct for his criticism of referee Shaun Evans during Tuesday's FFA Cup semi-final.

Like many teams involved in Cup ties before them, Sydney FC have been hit by the luck of the draw and factors beyond their control, which mean that the FFA Cup final between themselves and Melbourne City will be played at AAMI Park on November 30.

Kevin Muscat didn't want Melbourne Victory's 4-1 drubbing by cross town rivals Melbourne City in the first derby of the A-League season to be the reference point for the rest of the campaign.

Melbourne City's early-season bubble burst somewhat with a 3-2 home loss to Perth Glory on Friday night - a defeat that, said coach John van 't Schip, is a stark reminder for his players of how hard they have to work and how intensely they have to compete if they want to dominate the competition.

It took Tim Cahill just 27 minutes into his A-League debut for Melbourne City to make the club's near $4 million joint outlay with the FFA seem like a wise investment.

Tim Cahill had Etihad Stadium rocking on Saturday night when he sent a screamer flying into the back of the net to give City a 1-0 lead in the Melbourne derby. 

Despite repeated warnings from police and the soccer clubs that fans behave themselves, four fans were arrested and 13 evicted from Etihad Stadium overnight.

Tim Cahill made his long-awaited A-League debut as the two Melbourne clubs squared off in this early-season fixture.

Tim Cahill has made many debuts since his professional career took him to the four corners of the world to play at the highest level in Europe, North America and Asia.

Tim Cahill is relishing the chance to play against Melbourne Victory.

Tim Cahill will be under more scrutiny than any player ever has been in an A-League game when he makes his official debut for Melbourne City on Saturday night in the first Melbourne derby of the season.

Melbourne wants its A-League crowd record back, and Victory coach Kevin Muscat says a derby date at the MCG will make it happen.

Melbourne City have shaken off a second-half red card and battled to a gritty 1-0 win over the Phoenix in their A-League season opener at Wellington's Westpac Stadium.

Former Australian international Neil Kilkenny reckons the English FA, reeling from the shock of the Sam Allardyce sting and claims of rampant bungs within the game, has a simple solution to the England team's woes.

Is the integrity of the A-League being compromised by the FFA's failure to have bye weekends around international fixtures?

Tim Cahill's signature has ensured that much of the hype and hoopla around the new A-League season has been centred on Melbourne City.

Melbourne City will give a home debut to Socceroo star Tim Cahill and a competitive first outing to new Danish defender Michael Jakobsen when they take on Western Sydney Wanderers in the FFA Cup quarter-final at AAMI Park on Wednesday night.

Canberra Stadium has emerged as a potential venue for an FFA Cup blockbuster if Canberra Olympic secures a fixture against Socceroos legend Tim Cahill next month.

Socceroo Tim Cahill has made his first senior club appearance in Australian football, coming on as 64th-minute substitute in Melbourne City's 2-1 victory over Brisbane Strikers in the FFA Cup round of 16.

• UPDATED

By Ben McKay

Melbourne City are preparing to hand Socceroos great Tim Cahill a debut, possibly off the bench, in Wednesday night's FFA Cup tie against Brisbane Strikers.

Melbourne City defender Ivan Franjic has been ruled out for an indefinite period after suffering a virus during the pre-season, the club said in a statement released on Tuesday night.

Tim Cahill reveals a frank text message from his 11-year-old son finally convinced him to bring his family back to Australia.

• ANALYSIS

Tim Cahill is not the biggest signing in Australian domestic football history. But, he could well be the most important.

Tim Cahill will finally play in the A-League, with Melbourne City confirming the Socceroos' leading goal scorer has signed a two-year playing contract.