Central Coast Mariners boss Mark Jackson has confirmed young forward Miguel Di Pizio will be out of action until the new year after undergoing knee surgery whilst the club are also waiting on scan results to determine just how long midfielder Brad Tapp will be sidelined for.
After becoming an important member of the Mariners’ first team squad which secured the treble last year, Di Pizio was set for even more minutes this campaign.
However, a knee injury picked up in pre-season meant the 18-year-old required meniscus surgery and will now be out of action until 2025.
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“It will be the New Year for Miggsy (Di Pizio),” said head coach Mark Jackson when asked when he would be expecting Di Pizio back in full training.
“We’ve been very, very unfortunate. Like I said, the physicality of the team has been really, really good. I’ve been really pleased with it – we’ve just been unfortunate to pick up injuries (that) you can’t really avoid.
“It’s part and parcel of the game. Knee injuries, twists, innocuous challenges, it’s hard to manage.
“These things happen in football sometimes but the way we’re working, the physicality of the team, I’m really really happy with and how the team is progressing in all aspects. We’re getting stronger and stronger.”
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Totalling 32 appearances for the club in 2023-24, Di Pizio feature prominently in the Mariners’ Isuzu UTE A-League Premiership/Championship double as well as their victorious AFC Cup cup run.
Scoring four goals across what was his first full season, Di Pizio became the youngest ever goalscorer in Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final history when he bagged what proved to be the winning goal against Melbourne Victory in his side’s 3-1 win.
Di Pizio also scored three vital goals for Central Coast in their historic AFC Cup run, first bagging a late equaliser to help them top the group stage before then scoring two goals against FC Abdysh-Ata Kant to seal their spot in the final.
Meanwhile the club are also anxiously waiting on scan results to determine the severity of the knee injury picked up by Brad Tapp during their round three goalless draw with Perth Glory in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
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The midfielder, who has so far this season been deployed as a central defender by Jackson, was substituted in the 37th minute of the game after going down clutching his knee and was subsequently spotted wearing a knee brace at the Mariner’s home clash against Shanghai Shenhua.
“We’re waiting on the results of a scan. It’s disappointing we’ve lost Tappy,” said Jackson when speaking after the 2-2 draw with Shanghai Shenhua in the ACL Elite.
“We’re going to lose him for a period of time, how long that is we’re not quite sure yet.
“What I have to say is: what a young man, how he’s dealing with the situation and the maturity he’s showing. He’s a massive, massive loss for the team because he’s been performing superbly well.
“We dropped him down to a centre-back position in that back three and he’s been thriving in that position.
“Whatever it is, whatever length of time it will be, he’ll come back stronger. He’s got that mentality, that strong mentality.
Jackson continued: “He’s got a club behind him here who’ll support him all the way. So he’ll come back stronger and he’ll be a valuable player for the football club in the future.”
Asked whether or not Jackson and his medical staff feared Tapp had damaged the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his left knee, the head coach admits the club are hoping for the best.
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“There’s always a fear (of an ACL) when you go into a thing like that and you have to do that and see the swelling, so there’s always a fear of that.
“But like I said, once we get the opinion of the specialist we’ll be able to confirm that. But he’ll be out for a period of time.”
The Mariners are at home once again this weekend when they take on Wellington Phoenix in Round Four of the Isuzu UTE A-League.
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