ATTACK force at three A-League clubs has been plunged into crisis with Carlos Hernandez, Brendan Santalab and Reinaldo all ruled out for a month or more.
To see yesterday's training session...
MELBOURNE VICTORY'S season received another blow with Costa Rican playmaker Hernandez out for up to a month with a torn quad.
The loss of the attacking midfielder is a huge setback for Melbourne and leaves Victory's squad down to the bare bones for Friday night's daunting trip to Adelaide to take on the Asian Champions League finalists.
Melbourne have already lost three of the past four matches to surrender top spot in the table to Adelaide with the 2006/07 champions actually slipping to third following last week's 2-0 loss at home to Sydney.
But now they have to travel to an Adelaide side facing its 11th game in 50 days on Friday night with Hernandez sidelined as well as suspended duo Archie Thompson and Ney Fabiano plus Nathan Elasi and Sebastian Ryall, who are away on young Socceroos duties.
With only veteran Tom Pondeljak left to play alongside Allsopp, Victory will call up one of their youth players to make the trip to Adelaide and to provide some additional firepower with Mathew Theodore and Aziz Behich in contention to come into the squad.
Melbourne Victory football operations manager Gary Cole admitted the loss of Hernandez meant the club's range of attacking options was as threadbare as any time in the club's history.
"I think so - with a couple of injuries and the red cards and with Nathan and Sebastian away as well," he said.
"It means we are light on but it means there are opportunities for other people to stand up."
To see yesterday's training session...
SYDNEY FC have also been dealt a huge hit with Santalab expected to be out until Christmas with the shoulder injury he picked up against Melbourne at the weekend.
"The cartilage around his shoulder has been bruised, so he needs it repaired and he'll go in for surgery on Wednesday," Kosmina told theSydney Morning Herald.
"He showed a lot of form and how devastating he could be on the weekend, but that's the way it goes. It's just one of those silly injuries - he fell badly."
Kosmina added: "His shoulder popped out at first and then it went back in again. But then it popped out again."
And at QUEENSLAND ROAR, Reinaldo has finally succumbed to the nagging hip injury he's been carrying since his surprise return from Korea this season.
"It's unfortunately caught up with him," Farina told the Courier-Mail. "The poor bugger's copped a bit of stick (for his form) but he's got to do what he's contracted to do.
"But it's got to the stage now that if we keep pushing, the danger is we'll lose him for the rest of the season.
"We're not going to do that."
He's out for a month, leaving the cupboard bare for Roar against Newcastle Jets this weekend in their senior and youth team ties.
Luke DeVere, Tahj Minniecon, Mitch Nichols, Tommy Oar and Isaka Cernak are on Young Socceroo duty and Hyuk-Su Seo is out with a calf injury while Robbie Kruse has hamstring problems.
Farina added: "It's going to be hard to get two teams up and going."
MELBOURNE VICTORY'S season received another blow with Costa Rican playmaker Hernandez out for up to a month with a torn quad.
The loss of the attacking midfielder is a huge setback for Melbourne and leaves Victory's squad down to the bare bones for Friday night's daunting trip to Adelaide to take on the Asian Champions League finalists.
Melbourne have already lost three of the past four matches to surrender top spot in the table to Adelaide with the 2006/07 champions actually slipping to third following last week's 2-0 loss at home to Sydney.
But now they have to travel to an Adelaide side facing its 11th game in 50 days on Friday night with Hernandez sidelined as well as suspended duo Archie Thompson and Ney Fabiano plus Nathan Elasi and Sebastian Ryall, who are away on young Socceroos duties.
With only veteran Tom Pondeljak left to play alongside Allsopp, Victory will call up one of their youth players to make the trip to Adelaide and to provide some additional firepower with Mathew Theodore and Aziz Behich in contention to come into the squad.
Melbourne Victory football operations manager Gary Cole admitted the loss of Hernandez meant the club's range of attacking options was as threadbare as any time in the club's history.
"I think so - with a couple of injuries and the red cards and with Nathan and Sebastian away as well," he said.
"It means we are light on but it means there are opportunities for other people to stand up."
To see yesterday's training session...
SYDNEY FC have also been dealt a huge hit with Santalab expected to be out until Christmas with the shoulder injury he picked up against Melbourne at the weekend.
"The cartilage around his shoulder has been bruised, so he needs it repaired and he'll go in for surgery on Wednesday," Kosmina told theSydney Morning Herald.
"He showed a lot of form and how devastating he could be on the weekend, but that's the way it goes. It's just one of those silly injuries - he fell badly."
Kosmina added: "His shoulder popped out at first and then it went back in again. But then it popped out again."
And at QUEENSLAND ROAR, Reinaldo has finally succumbed to the nagging hip injury he's been carrying since his surprise return from Korea this season.
"It's unfortunately caught up with him," Farina told the Courier-Mail. "The poor bugger's copped a bit of stick (for his form) but he's got to do what he's contracted to do.
"But it's got to the stage now that if we keep pushing, the danger is we'll lose him for the rest of the season.
"We're not going to do that."
He's out for a month, leaving the cupboard bare for Roar against Newcastle Jets this weekend in their senior and youth team ties.
Luke DeVere, Tahj Minniecon, Mitch Nichols, Tommy Oar and Isaka Cernak are on Young Socceroo duty and Hyuk-Su Seo is out with a calf injury while Robbie Kruse has hamstring problems.
Farina added: "It's going to be hard to get two teams up and going."
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