Newcastle Jets have confirmed that star striker Roy O’Donovan will be sidelined for up to 3 months with a groin tear.
The Irishman sustained the injury during the club’s 2 – 1 victory over Perth Glory at nib Stadium on Saturday night.
O’Donovan collided heavily with Glory custodian Liam Reddy as he looked to get on the end of a cross in the final 10 minutes.
The impact of the collision saw the Irishman twist awkwardly, resulting in a Grade 3 tear to his right groin.
Our gutsy win in Perth has come at a cost.
O'Donovan injury ➡️ https://t.co/xQMC4a6vt9 pic.twitter.com/trqfL7qOcW— NEWCASTLE JETS FC ✈️ (@NewcastleJetsFC) December 11, 2017
Jets’ Coach, Ernie Merrick was disappointed at the loss of his leading attacker, but said the injury was an unavoidable one.
“First and foremost, I’m disappointed for Roy,” said Merrick.
“Roy had worked extremely hard to get himself right and our physio, specialist and myself were comfortable with him taking part in the game (against the Glory).
“We were actually taking a cautious approach by having Roy return via the bench – but there was nothing we could do to avoid this one.”
While O’Donovan had just returned from an injury to the same groin, Merrick said the latest setback suffered by the Irishman wasn’t preventable.
“Impact injuries like these are part and parcel of football, and unfortunately it seems like we’re having more than our fair share at the moment,” said Merrick.
As for the road ahead, O’Donovan will begin his rehab immediately under the guidance of Physio, Justin Dougherty and in consultation with groin specialist, Dr Neil Halpin.
“Dr Halpin is well recognised in dealing with these sort of injuries, so Roy is in excellent hands,” added Merrick.
“He has confirmed that his previous injury had healed well, but this latest one – while on the same side of the body – is in a completely unrelated area.
“At this stage, we won’t get drawn into any timelines for recovery but we’ll monitor Roy’s progress closely and hopefully we can see him back for the final rounds of the regular season.”
The prognosis is a major blow for the Jets, who currently have the likes of Ronald Vargas, Daniel Georgievski and Jack Duncan sidelined through injury.
In positive news, the club’s Venezuelan marquee has been progressing well since having his Moon Boot removed last week.
“Ronny is progressing nicely and it seems very positive at this early stage, he’s improving with each day.
“It’s nice to see him up and about and smiling at training.”
