Auckland FC head coach Steve Corica says the extent of key central defender Nando Pijnaker’s ankle injury is not yet clear after the New Zealand international was substituted in the first half of a 2-1 win over Macarthur Bulls on Saturday.
Pijnaker has played all 15 of Auckland’s Isuzu UTE A-League fixtures this season and has been pivotal to their rise to the top of the table in the club’s inaugural campaign.
The All Whites centre-back was withdrawn after just 23 minutes of his side’s 2-1 win over the Bulls – a result that extended Auckland’s lead at the top of the table to five points.
MATCH REPORT: Auckland FC move clear at the top after another late show helps beat the Bulls
Corica is already without A-Leagues championship-winner Dan Hall, who broke his ankle in training in mid-December; full-back Callan Elliot was called off the bench to replace Pijnaker following the centre-back’s ankle injury.
“To be honest, I haven’t seen him yet,” Corica said in his post-game press conference.
“I think he’s rolled his ankle. I don’t know how bad it is yet, I’ll go in now and have a look.
“Obviously it’s not good he had to come off; we adjusted with Hiroki coming in and Callan (Elliot) again doing a brilliant job – but we’re running out of centre-backs soon.”
Corica will be hoping Pijnaker’s injury prognosis isn’t serious, having confirmed Hall isn’t expected to return to play until March.
“Probably about five weeks (away),” Corica said.
“Probably for the Newcastle game (on March 9), I’m hoping. So whatever that is, four or five weeks.”
Auckland have the bye in Round 18 but will return to action against Western United on February 15 without star midfielder Louis Verstraete, who scored the match-winning goal against the Bulls but collected his fifth yellow card of the season in the process – an action that has resulted in a one-game ban for the Belgian.
