Melbourne Victory’s horrible run with injuries has worsened with news Rody Vargas is in major doubt for Thursday’s first leg of the major semi-final against Sydney, while it has been confirmed that Robbie Kruse will miss the rest of the season.
While Kruse has been cleared of a break in his leg, he has significant muscle damage around the ankle and is unlikely to be able to play for the remainder of the season.
He joins Archie Thompson, Matthew Kemp and Billy Celeski as absentees for the first week of the finals, with only Thompson expected to return during the next month.
Adding to what appears the greatest injury crisis in the club’s history, Vargas is only a 50-50 chance to play in Thursday’s first leg of the major semi-final as he battles knee soreness.
“Rody Vargas has got a pain in the back of his knee which came on during the game. He’s probably 50-50 at this stage but we will give him right up until kick-off to prove his fitness,” Victory football operations manager Gary Cole said.
“We’re obviously keen for him to play, but we’re also wary of him doing further damage and the whole finals series and the ACL may be over.”
The precise nature of Kruse’s injury is yet to be determined.
“Robbie Kruse has had an MRI and we are waiting on the final detailed report,” Cole said. “The good news is there’s no break to the bone, the bad news is that there’s an awful lot of damage to tissue in his ankle … At this stage he is likely to miss the final series.”
Cole described the situation as the most difficult the club had faced in terms of serious injuries, in its history. But the club is adamant it won’t affect their preparation for Thursday’s match at Etihad Stadium.
