Young star's career hangs in the balance after heartbreaking injury setback
Milligan criticizes regulation after Jets suffer another injury
Newcastle Jets coach Mark Milligan expects to lose teenage winger Oscar Fryer for the rest of the A-League season after the young player sustained another severe knee injury.
Scans scheduled for Monday are expected to confirm that Fryer ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the team's 4-1 loss to Sydney FC at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday night.
"There are a few things to go through, but it doesn't look great," Milligan said. "You don't want to see that happen to anybody, especially Ossie, who has had such a tough run already. Fingers crossed it is not as serious as we first thought."
Injury crisis deepens for the Jets
The Jets are already missing key players Japanese midfielder Kota Mizunuma and last season's top scorer Eli Adams, both sidelined with long-term hamstring injuries. Mizunuma has missed the opening three matches and only recently resumed light training, while Adams remains a few weeks away from returning.
Frustration over replacement rule
Milligan expressed frustration over the current A-League regulation that restricts injury replacement signings to players earning over $300,000 a season.
"We have had the same issue with Kota," Milligan explained. "When serious injuries happen in the team, we cannot replace those players because their salaries don't meet the threshold, which I think is absolutely ridiculous. If it is a long-term injury, we can only replace them if they are on more than $300,000. We don't have any of those players."
Author's Summary
Mark Milligan faces mounting challenges as the Newcastle Jets suffer multiple key injuries, while strict league salary rules limit his ability to find replacements.