The Newcastle Jets have been dealt another blow ahead of their crucial Hyundai A-League clash with Melbourne at AAMI Park on Wednesday night with key defender Taylor Regan ruled out of the match along with the suspended Ryan Griffiths.
Griffiths received a two-match ban from the Match Review Panel on Tuesday after being shown a red card for dissent in last Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Phoenix in Wellington and his loss has been compounded by the late withdrawal of Regan from the Jets side due to injury.
“I have a grade one tear in my hamstring,” Regan said on Tuesday. “I did it early in the game against Wellington but I was able to get through the match.”
“But Branko (coach Branko Culina) doesn’t want to risk it against Melbourne but I will certainly be ready for Sydney at home on Sunday, which is a very big game.”
Regan’s loss is more bad news for the Jets who are in free fall after claiming only six points from their past eight matches to leave them four points outside of the top six with only four matches remaining this season.
The 22-year-old, who recently inked a two-year extension on his deal to stay at the Newcastle club, said the make-up of the Jets defence was still to be decided but he said he was confident that a good back four would be assembled against the in-form Victory side.
“There are a couple of options,” Regan said. “We have some young players who can play in the middle at the back and there are other experienced players like Adam D’Apuzzo, Tarek Elrich and Jobe Wheelhouse, who were all part of the team that won the Championship a few years ago.”
Regan, who started the season as the skipper of the youth team but has become a regular starter in the Jets central defence following the departure of former international Ljubo Milicevic, admitted it has had a tough initiation. But he said he was still confident the Jets could mount a late charge for a top six spot.
“Earlier in the year when the team was winning games and the ball is rolling your way it was easier, but now we are in a rough patch it and we are battling to make the semis it makes it more difficult,” he said.
“I think a draw will be a good result against Melbourne who are on a bit of a roll.”
“But we are not going there to get a draw we are going there to get three points and I don’t see why we cant get that.”
“We watched a video of the game against Wellington and we felt there was a couple of opportunities there we could have won the match.”
“So if we play the way we did and we get stuck in and put our bodies on the line there is on reason why we cant come away with three points and get our semi-final run back on track.”
“Out of our next four games we need three wins and there is no better place to start than against Melbourne.”
