Perth Glory have been dealt a massive blow on the eve of their arduous month-long, A-League road-trip, losing key striker Andy Keogh for at least three matches.

Keogh, who suffered a calf injury in the season opening 1-1 draw with Adelaide United at HBF Park, will miss Friday’s clash with Western United at AAMI Park and the next two games against Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City.

The veteran forward joins a growing injury list but Glory hope to have him fit for the last two games of their 33-day tour against Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United.

MORE SPORT:

• ‘Game on’: Australia set to host 2027 World Cup
• Rule change opens door for Folau to play for Tonga
• Ebden’s ebbs and flows add up to polarising year

Coach Richard Garcia revealed Keogh had been struggling with the injury in recent weeks.

“It was something that had been playing at him for a few weeks and slowly started to deteriorate,” Garcia said.

“It’s minor but it’s not worth him coming on the trip.

“He won’t make the first stint into Melbourne.

“We’re hoping he comes back to fitness to possibly take part in the last two games of the tour.”

Garcia does not expect many changes without Keogh but star signing Daniel Sturridge is likely to get a more game time than the nine minutes he played last Saturday.

“It’s a slow build, we’ve got to build Daniel up and make sure he’s capable of playing a full game,” Garcia said.

“We’ll give him a bit more time come Friday and then build up from there.”

Spanish import Adrian Sardinero and local talent Daniel Stynes, who both came off the bench against Adelaide, can also expect more minutes.

“It (Keogh’s loss) opens up our thinking on how we want to play,” Garcia said.

“Adrian was fantastic when he came on. He’s another one who is slowly building.

“He showed some glimpses of his quality and we’re expecting more of that come Friday.

“He’ll take a more active role in the team.

“Daniel Stynes did very well when he came on and made a real push for a starting spot.”

Garcia said it was crucial to get early away points.

“If you do well on the road you’ve got a fantastic opportunity to win the league,” he said.

“That’s something we’ve been focusing on since we’ve been made aware of the fixtures.

“We want to start this run of games with the right mentality and mindset. The guys are in a great state of mind.“

Garcia was full of prise for the young side beaten on penalties in the FFA Cup qualifying game by a strong Melbourne Victory.

“I thought they were fantastic. They really stepped up,” he said.

“They seemed to be a lot more mature than the average age of about 18, and we had guys that are 16 come off the bench.

“That’s a fantastic thing for the club.”