Melbourne Heart have suffered a major blow to their championship aspirations with Brazilian midfielder Fred ruled out for six weeks with a groin injury.
Melbourne Heart have suffered a major blow to their championship aspirations with Brazilian midfielder Fred ruled out for six weeks with a groin injury.
The Heart captain has been responsible for much of the creativity that has set up the likes of Mate Dugandzic and Eli Babalj for goals in the Heart-s recent streak of hot form and will be sorely missed as his side head into a crucial string of matches that see them play both Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar over the period they will be without Fred.
Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton said the loss of Fred will only add to the monumental challenge his team face against those two teams, labelling them the benchmark of the A-League.
“When you-re talking about Brisbane and the Central Coast they are the real deal and what we are striving to be, we-re probably just below those two teams, but at the end of the day, this little period here will gauge whether we-re top or middle of the table,” Bolton said.
Bolton also made a point of voicing his displeasure at the way his team have finished off games in recent weeks against Adelaide and Gold Coast United, feeling the intensity dropped after the side got off to promising starts.
“The last two games we have started off really well but at the 25 minute mark we have gone into a little bit of a comfort one and those teams have looked a little bit hungrier than us,” he said.
While Brisbane Roar certainly hold no fears for the Heart, having drawn with and beaten them in their two matches so far this season, they will be wary of what Central Coast might do to them should they not turn up at 100 per cent for their midweek encounter at AAMI Park.
Last time they met things were level for the better part of 80 minutes before a late flurry from the Mariners and goals to Patrick Zwaanswijk and Daniel McBreen saw them account for the Heart 3-1.
