Rose ready to serve any Mariners role

Central Coast veteran Josh Rose is relieved to have returned from his pre-season injury, and content to play wherever his struggling yet daring team need him.

Rose played his first match of the A-League season against Sydney FC last weekend, having been sidelined with a knee problem since the Mariners' last trial clash against Brisbane in September.

The 33-year-old could barely walk for a week thanks to severe bruising on the back of his knee and a medial ligament strain.

But he returned to play the full 90 minutes in Saturday's fourth-round 3-1 loss at Central Coast Stadium, despite admitting his fitness isn't quite back up to scratch yet.

"I felt not too bad," Rose told AAP.

"It was unfortunate timing when I did my knee in pre-season because I had been feeling fantastic.

"On the weekend I still felt a little bit underdone, but I'll build in the next few weeks and hope we get back to 100 per cent.

"The pain has gone away a lot. It was a bit stiff on Sunday, but it's definitely getting better and improving a lot each day now."

Rose has now entered the 15th year of his career and sixth with the Mariners, for whom he's excited to play Walmsley's new uncompromising attacking style that has been labelled by management as the entertainment fans want.

"Attacking is my strength as a defender, so if I'm going to play a leftback or a centreback role I know we're going to be pressing and it's going to be a lot more attacking, so I'm happy with that," he said.

"I enjoy it, and as far as entertaining goes, I think I've been entertaining for the six seasons so it's business as usual for me."

It might be on that front, but there is uncertainty as to where Rose now slots into the group.

Traditionally a defender, he was mainly used on the left wing during the pre-season.

But given new youngster Mitch Austin's impressive form in that role, Rose may be required elsewhere.

"He (Walmsley) knows I'm here to do a job wherever he needs me and wherever that may be, even if it's left-back," Rose said.

"I definitely enjoyed my role as a left winger in the pre-season, but if the team needs me to play somewhere else I'm happy to fill in wherever that may be."