ID :
17954
Wed, 09/03/2008 - 21:30
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/17954
The shortlink copeid
Elrich ruled out for A-League season
Central Coast Mariners midfielder Ahmad Elrich's A-League season is over after scans confirmed a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
The 27-year-old Socceroo, who joined the Mariners from Wellington Phoenix as one of the major off-season signings, is facing at least six months on the sidelines. The former Fulham player lasted only 12 minutes in the Mariners' 4-2 triumph over Queensland Roar last Sunday after turning awkwardly off the ball. He will undergo a knee reconstruction next week and now can only aim to make a return in early-to-mid 2009, when the Mariners will be contesting the group stage of their inaugural Asian Champions League tilt.
"It's obviously a devastating blow for me, especially considering how fit I was feeling and how much progress I had made throughout the pre-season and the early part of the A-League season," said Elrich. "But it's good that I know exactly what I'm dealing with. "I've been through this exact procedure before and I've come back from it. I know
that I'll come back again."
In further bad news for Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna, speedy defender Dean Heffernan has hit a snag in his recovery from a leg break he suffered in December. The left-back's leg is now back in plaster for a further three weeks, with the best case scenario seeing the 28-year-old make a return in November.
The 27-year-old Socceroo, who joined the Mariners from Wellington Phoenix as one of the major off-season signings, is facing at least six months on the sidelines. The former Fulham player lasted only 12 minutes in the Mariners' 4-2 triumph over Queensland Roar last Sunday after turning awkwardly off the ball. He will undergo a knee reconstruction next week and now can only aim to make a return in early-to-mid 2009, when the Mariners will be contesting the group stage of their inaugural Asian Champions League tilt.
"It's obviously a devastating blow for me, especially considering how fit I was feeling and how much progress I had made throughout the pre-season and the early part of the A-League season," said Elrich. "But it's good that I know exactly what I'm dealing with. "I've been through this exact procedure before and I've come back from it. I know
that I'll come back again."
In further bad news for Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna, speedy defender Dean Heffernan has hit a snag in his recovery from a leg break he suffered in December. The left-back's leg is now back in plaster for a further three weeks, with the best case scenario seeing the 28-year-old make a return in November.
