Robert Cornthwaite is set to face off against former team-mate and rooming companion, Sydney FC's Scott Jamieson, on Saturday night with the towering stopper recalled to the Reds line-up for the first time this season after a groin injury.
Cornthwaite and Jamieson shared rooms as team-mates when United travelled interstate and also during the AFC Champions League campaigns which saw trips as far as Tashkent in Uzbekistan.
Cornthwaite admitted he was hoping to have returned sooner and will start on the bench, before joking he will be searching out his former team-mate on Saturday night.
"Obviously I would have like to have been back a little bit earlier," he said.
"But to come back against Scotty is something that I'm really looking forward to. Hopefully I get on the park when he's still on there and get close enough to him to give him a bit of kick."
Cornthwaite said he was unsure who his new room-mate would be but admitted he had asked if Jamieson had room for his old buddy.
"I sent him a text early in the week saying that it was my first away trip and I don't know who I am going to be rooming with so I asked if I could stay at his place but he said no," he laughed.
"It will be good to catch up with him even in the tunnel before the game and even during the game I'm sure he'll have plenty to say during the game which will be good."
Cornthwaite admitted he could have returned earlier than this week's clash against Sydney after resuming full training last month.
The 24 year-old said as a defender he could return sooner than a midfielder and with less game time under his belt and he would be ready for any role coach Rini Coolen may need.
"I've been in full training for the last three weeks," Cornthwaite said.
"Even three weeks ago I was maybe going to be on the bench and then last week it was maybe better to stay and do a couple of extra training sessions rather than travel and now this week I'm ready to go. If he needs me for 45 minutes or even 90 I'm ready play."
"Obviously I need as much game time as possible. If I can play some role off the bench. I suppose I'm fortunate in the fact I'm a centre-half and not a central midfielder so I probably don't need as many kilometre's in the legs as some of the others."
Cornthwaite said he'll be throwing the form guide out the window with the defending champions yet to record and win, and United, last season's wooden spooners yet to lose and sitting second.
"Yeah, they've started slowly but we know they're a quality side," he said.
"All the boys are feeling really positive and we know it's a great opportunity to get a nice jump on them early and get the three points and we'll be off to a fantastic start."
Watching from the sidelines, Cornthwaite acknowledged he has seen a change in the Reds' style of play as the influence of their Dutch coach becomes more obvious.
"Rini has brought in a philosophy of keeping the ball. If we're winning, obviously keep the ball and wait for that moment to go forward again," he said.
"And, I think by keeping the ball we've been able to get numbers forward on more occasions and get plenty of people inside the box. As you've seen we've scored three goals in each of the last two games which has been positive."