The fitness of Western Sydney Wanderers' striker Brendon Santalab remains in doubt, coach Tony Popovic said late Tuesday, before the club's AFC Champions League final against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal.

Santalab dislocated his shoulder when the Australian club edged out Al Hilal 1-0 in the first leg of the final last Saturday, and Popovic said the 32-year-old was "still in some discomfort".

"He tried to train today and look, he'll be touch and go," Popovic told the Australian Associated Press at Sydney Airport before the team flew to Riyadh for the second leg of the final at King Fahd Stadium on Saturday.

"We hope that obviously he's available for selection. He wants to be."

Popovic said while medical staff were doing their best to help Santalab recover, the decision on whether to play the striker could be taken as late as Saturday.

The Wanderers, in just their third season of existence, are attempting to become the first Australian side to win the Asian showpiece contest.

Al Hilal's Romanian coach Laurentiu Reghecampf has warned that the Riyadh game will be difficult for the Wanderers before an expected 65,000 fans.

The Wanderers are attempting to go one better than Adelaide United, who lost the two-leg 2008 final to Japan's Gamba Osaka.

Popovic said his team were not at their best in the first leg at Sydney's Parramatta Stadium and can do a lot better.

"They played very well and we didn't, and we won," he said.