Melbourne City FC can confirm that winger Damien Duff is likely to miss the rest of the Hyundai A-League season after rupturing a tendon in his calf and suffering damage to his ankle ligaments.
Duff will undergo additional scans to confirm the extent of the damage, but the early prognosis is that the former English Premier League star may require surgery, which could result in a lengthy lay-off period.
Head Coach John van’t Schip said; “We are of course disappointed to learn the seriousness of Damien’s injuries and I know his absence will be a big loss to the team.
“Damien has brought a lot to the Club this season both on and off the pitch and we are going to need other members of the squad to step up while Damien is out of action.”
Central defender Robbie Wielaert is another player expected to spend time on the sidelines after the Dutchman underwent surgery last week on his injured ankle and is expected to also miss a number of matches.
Wielaert suffered an ankle knock in Abu Dhabi against FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and has missed all three of Melbourne City FC’s matches since the league’s re-start.
Another Melbourne City FC defender Ben Garuccio, who sustained an ankle injury against Western Sydney Wanderers on February 1, is now expected to be absent for at least 10 weeks.
Meanwhile, Melbourne City FC can announce it has signed former Newcastle Jets captain Kew Jaliens on an injury replacement contract for at least six weeks.
A former Dutch International, Jaliens, 36, departed the Jets on Monday after joining the Hyundai A-League club from Polish club Wisla Krakow in 2013.
He featured in The Netherlands’ FIFA World Cup campaign in Germany in 2006 under then Assistant Coach John van’t Schip.
The central defender will commence training with his new teammates on Wednesday.
“We have decided to bring in Kew as a replacement as he will add some depth at a time where we are missing a number of players due to injury,” van’t Schip said.
Melbourne City FC plays Peth Glory at AAMI Park this Sunday afternoon, kick-off 5pm.
