Fans disappointed as two of the brightest stars choose not to shine Ready for a challenge: Michael Beauchamp. The withdrawal of Shinji Ono and Alessandro Del Piero for the A-League All Stars clash against Manchester United is as disappointing for the players as it is the fans, defender Michael Beauchamp has said. The Western Sydney Wanderers captain was one of four players added to the squad on Thursday, taking the total to five after the announcement of Nikolai Topor-Stanley last week. The central defensive pair will be joined by Ante Covic in goal, giving a sense of familiarity to coach Ange Postecoglou's defence. Also named from the Wanderers was forward Mark Bridge and fleet-footed winger Youssouf Hersi. The loss of Sydney's Del Piero and Western Sydney's Ono is a let-down for fans expecting to see the A-League's two biggest stars but Beauchamp says he can understand why they won't be present on July 20 at ANZ Stadium. "I'm sure it's a decision that [Ono] thought hard about ... A quality player like that - it's always great to see them - but it's obviously a personal choice on his part," Beauchamp said. To be on the same side as Del Piero would have been nice for a change. Like Shinji, it would have been nice to have another quality player there ... but it's another personal choice. Maybe he didn't feel he was up for this game as it's a long A-League season, so he's got to look after himself first and foremost. Another concern for the players will be the state of the pitch, with four rugby matches - three league and one union - set to be staged over the next three weeks, including the State of Origin decider three days' before the exhibition match. However, Beauchamp is confident it won't be a problem. "Maybe that's a question for the groundskeeper but I think it will be running pretty true," he said. It probably won't be up to the standard of Old Trafford but both have to play on it and I'm sure it will be good enough for the day. While Manchester United boast some of the world's best strikers in the form of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, Beauchamp said he and Topor-Stanley and Covic were keen to test themselves against the English Premier League's elite. We had a great partnership last year and we're continually growing as teammates, and I'm looking forward to stepping out onto the field alongside him against a team like Manchester United. They've got some amazing players, especially strikers, so it's going to be a huge challenge," he said. Meanwhile, Sydney FC has announced that ex-Socceroos midfielder Paul Reid will make the transition from player to community officer this year, though he will continue playing with Rockdale in the NSW Premier League.