Perth Glory captain Natasha Rigby will bravely play through the pain of a broken nose in Wednesday’s A-League Women clash with Canberra United, while Lisa De Vanna is making a late push to play.
Rigby broke her nose after copping an elbow to her face in last week’s 4-2 loss to Adelaide United.
The 28-year-old might have to wear a face mask when she fronts up against Canberra, but she’s determined to play.
“It was a significant break given the elbow had a bit of force behind it,” Glory coach Alex Epakis said.
“But for those who know Tash, she’s unbelievably strong and she’s very brave.
“I think she’s going to wear a protective mask. It’s very difficult to be telling her that she’s not playing. She just doesn’t take that, she’s raring to go.
“So medically she is cleared to play and she wants to play, so she will play.”
De Vanna hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury in the club’s 1-0 win over Brisbane on December 10.
The former Matildas star had also been troubled by a hamstring complaint in the season opener six days earlier, and she nursed soft-tissue injuries at Melbourne Victory last season.
De Vanna is back in full training, but a decision on her availability against Canberra is yet to be made.
If De Vanna doesn’t play against Canberra, she could return in Saturday’s match against Sydney instead.
“She’ll be close to being involved tomorrow, but we’ve just got to get through the final session to see where she’s at,” Epakis said.
“It’s a balancing act. We want to have her playing, but we also need to make sure that when she can play, it’s with impact.
“So if she’s still going to be nursing anything, we won’t risk it.”
Canberra are yet to win from their three games this season, with their most recent result a 3-3 draw against Brisbane Roar.
