City have scored in just two of their past five matches and are desperate to find a forward-line connection against United.

Last week against Perth, City troubled the league leaders but didn't have a shot on target.

Unfortunately for City, coach Warren Joyce reported no sign of the change in attitude he wants to see in his proven scorer.

"No, there's been no difference," Joyce said on Thursday.

Joyce said he wouldn't look to field the Uruguayan in the City's youth team, as he did with Curtis Good last month, saying he didn't think "things like that help senior players".

City must wait until the January transfer window to ponder replacements for Fornaroli, so it's up to Joyce's next-gen brigade to find the goals.

Riley McGree, whose form has the 20-year-old in Asian Cup calculations, 21-year-old Lachlan Wales and teenager Nathaniel Atkinson are likely to continue in Adelaide on Sunday.

Along with last-minute signing Kearyn Baccus, established names Rostyn Griffiths and Anthony Caceres have been kept out of the side in line with Joyce's training-first mantra.

"We've got competition for places and other players have done better than (Caceres)," he said of the Manchester City loanee.

"He's had a chance to show what he can do so far this season and other people, the emergence of Lachie Wales or Riley McGree or Nathaniel Atkinson, they've done better.

"You want competition for places, don't you."

Joyce said Frenchman Florin Berenguer was unlikely to be seen until the new year with a calf injury.

Osama Malik might play minutes in Adelaide, while Ritchie De Laet is a wait-and-see proposition after locking his knee twice last week.

"We'll look at everybody after training," Joyce said.

Australian Associated Press