Adelaide United have confirmed Dutch import Bart Vriends will be out of action until the new year after injuring his hamstring during their Round 8 loss to Melbourne Victory.
The 34-year-old was withdrawn from Saturday’s clash at AAMI Park in just the ninth minute after going down inside his own box clutching his right hamstring.
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Speaking after the game, Adelaide United head coach Airton Andrioli subsequently confirmed the defender had flagged a possible injury before kick-off.
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“Yes, Bart felt something in the warm up, but he thought he could play the game,” said Andrioli when speaking after the defeat to Melbourne Victory.
“He sort of had this type of injury before and managed to play through the game. So it was his decision to step on the pitch and play. But obviously, it didn’t work out.”
Unfortunately for both club and player, Vriends is now likely to be sidelined for a busy period for the Reds, which includes this weekend’s trip to Perth Glory in Round 9.
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Adelaide United then play games against the Western Sydney Wanderers (Dec 27) and Central Coast Mariners (Jan 4) at home before an away trip to Wellington Phoenix on January 11.
Vriends will now begin a rehabilitation program over the coming weeks but should he be out of action for the month of January then he will also miss the home game against Melbourne Victory (Jan 17), an away clash with Brisbane Roar (Jan 24) and a home fixture against Macarthur Bulls (Jan 30).
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Adelaide are currently sixth on the ladder but head to head to HBF Park on Saturday night having lost their last three league matches.
