Sydney FC has been dealt a massive blow ahead of its clash with Perth Glory on Sunday with in-form striker Alex Brosque ruled out after suffering a groin injury that may have jeopardised his place in the Australian squad.
Brosque was forced to watch Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw with Kuwait from the sidelines, but the in-form striker remains confident of securing a place in Pim Verbeek’s final 23-man World Cup squad despite missing a golden chance to impress the Australian coach.
The 26-year-old was widely tipped to earn a spot in the starting line-up for the vital Asian Cup qualifier before suffering a groin strain during shooting practice on the eve of the match.
The injury robbed him of his fifth international cap at senior level and the chance to state his case for a place in South Africa 2010.
But while bitterly disappointed over the timing of his injury, a defiant Brosque refused to concede his World Cup dream was over upon arrival at Sydney airport on Friday morning.
“Hopefully not much,” Brosque said when asked what affect the injury would have on his Qantas Socceroos prospects.
“If I can get back on the paddock as soon as possible and get back to what I was doing before I got injured then hopefully not too much.”
“There’s still another game coming up in March so hopefully I can play well enough to get myself back into that camp.”
Brosque added when asked of his overall experience in Kuwait: “It was good to go away and good to be in camp but to get injured the day before the game was pretty painful to take.”
“There were only really three or four forwards, so hopefully worst case I probably would have been on the bench, so knowing that it’s frustrating that I wasn’t able to take part in the game at all.”
Brosque, Sydney’s equal leading goal scorer this season with six, is hoping to recover in time for next Sunday’s clash against Gold Coast United.
“I’m getting scans today so I’ll find out but the physios have looked at it and it shouldn’t be too bad,” he said.
“Hopefully it’s a seven to 10 day injury so touch and go for next weekend but hopefully I’ll be right for the Gold Coast game.”
But the versatile striker, who will see out the season with the Sky Blues before seeking a loan deal with an overseas club in a bid to enhance his World Cup prospects, knows forcing his way back into an in-form Sydney FC line-up won’t be an easy task.
“When Johnny (John Aloisi) got injured me and Bridgey (Mark Bridge) started playing well and then when Bridgey got injured me and Johnny were playing well,” he explained.
“It’s unfortunate but I hope they do well and I hope they score goals and we win the game because it’s tough over there in Perth.”
“I just need to worry about getting back myself and if they do well then I’ve got to try and work my way back into the squad.”
Meanwhile, Brosque endorsed the club’s decision to sign former Australian defender Hayden Foxe on a six-week deal to cover the loss of injured youngster Sebastian Ryall.
“I think it’s great,” he said of Foxe’s arrival.
“It’s a shame for Seb that we lose him for a couple of weeks, he’s a very good player. But I think picking up someone like Foxey, all the boys in camp were saying he’s great and good to have around and as a player we all know what he’s like, so I think he’s going to be very good for us.”
The Sky Blues have also signed 18-year-old National Youth League defender Sam Gallagher for the rest of the 2009/10 Hyundai A-League season.
