MELBOURNE Victory striker Danny Allsopp has been cleared of any serious injury after it was feared he'd broken two ribs in the clash against Central Coast Mariners.
Allsopp was rushed to hospital at the end of last night’s match but initial scans have been encouraging.
But the full extent of his injuries will not be known until further tests are conducted today.
Allsopp, who copped knocks in both the first and second halves, played on until the 89th minute despite excruciating pain.
Suffering breathing difficulties, an ambulance was called to Telstra Dome to transport the 2006/07 Reebok Golden Boot winner to Epworth Hospital, where he stayed overnight. He was discharged this morning.
Victory coach Ernie Merrick confirmed that X-Rays taken last night do not show any rib displacement.
“It doesn’t appear to be as bad as first feared, which is good news for he and his family and for us,” Merrick said.
“However, doctors still need to conduct further tests in order to rule out any hairline fractures of the ribs, and other injuries which may be present. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for him and hopefully he’ll be ok.”
Merrick praised the courage of his tall forward, who battled the pain barrier in an attempt to secure Melbourne’s maiden victory of the campaign.
“He was determined to stay on after half time despite suffering intense pain, and to stay on until the final minute of the match shows the type of character he possesses," he said.
"He is the type of player who works hard for the team every match, and this has never been more evident than last night."
He added: “I think there is a great spirit in our squad and real strength among the players individually.
"We see that each week at the moment with Kevin Muscat playing with a broken arm, and now Danny displaying enormous courage to help his team.”
Merrick was also pleased with the display from his team, despite the disappointment of not securing maximum points.
“The number of high-quality scoring opportunities we’ve created against all our opponents so far could easily see us sitting on 12 points instead of 4," he said.
"But the good news is we’re defending really well, still undefeated, and picking up enough points to already be in the top four.
"I’m confident the wins will come soon and we’ll be able to establish ourselves as a genuine finals contender.”
But the full extent of his injuries will not be known until further tests are conducted today.
Allsopp, who copped knocks in both the first and second halves, played on until the 89th minute despite excruciating pain.
Suffering breathing difficulties, an ambulance was called to Telstra Dome to transport the 2006/07 Reebok Golden Boot winner to Epworth Hospital, where he stayed overnight. He was discharged this morning.
Victory coach Ernie Merrick confirmed that X-Rays taken last night do not show any rib displacement.
“It doesn’t appear to be as bad as first feared, which is good news for he and his family and for us,” Merrick said.
“However, doctors still need to conduct further tests in order to rule out any hairline fractures of the ribs, and other injuries which may be present. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for him and hopefully he’ll be ok.”
Merrick praised the courage of his tall forward, who battled the pain barrier in an attempt to secure Melbourne’s maiden victory of the campaign.
“He was determined to stay on after half time despite suffering intense pain, and to stay on until the final minute of the match shows the type of character he possesses," he said.
"He is the type of player who works hard for the team every match, and this has never been more evident than last night."
He added: “I think there is a great spirit in our squad and real strength among the players individually.
"We see that each week at the moment with Kevin Muscat playing with a broken arm, and now Danny displaying enormous courage to help his team.”
Merrick was also pleased with the display from his team, despite the disappointment of not securing maximum points.
“The number of high-quality scoring opportunities we’ve created against all our opponents so far could easily see us sitting on 12 points instead of 4," he said.
"But the good news is we’re defending really well, still undefeated, and picking up enough points to already be in the top four.
"I’m confident the wins will come soon and we’ll be able to establish ourselves as a genuine finals contender.”
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