Waitakere United have confirmed that former All White skipper Danny Hay has a fracture in his ankle and is an unlikely starter for the crucial O-League final return leg at Trusts Stadium this Sunday.
The Waitakere captain picked up the injury in the New Zealand Football Championship Grand Final three weeks ago but did not realise the severity of the injury until scans late last week revealed he had a small fracture, leaving a chip ‘floating’ in the ankle joint.
Waitakere United head coach Chris Milicich is resigned to not having the services of his inspirational captain.
“The news is not good on Danny and I have effectively crossed his name out from my thinking. It is a blow for him personally and also for us as a team but we will box on and are fortunate to have great experience and quality to call upon in this sort of scenario.
“The onus will fall on the likes of Neil Emblen and Jonathan Perry to marshal the side as they have done all year. We will look at our options during the week but I’m not short of players ready willing and able to step in.”
Waitakere did not sit idle on the weekend, playing a closed-door friendly to keep the players minds and bodies on the job. The approach from Milicich in Sunday’s game is to attack from the outset to overturn the 3-1 deficit from the first leg in Honiara.
The match has implications for the wider football community with the US$500,000 prize spread across the eight NZFC clubs and New Zealand Football.
The winner earns the money as Oceania’s representative at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan in December.
Story courtesy www.waitakereunited.co.nz
OFC O-LEAGUE FINAL 2nd LEG
WAITAKERE UNITED (NZL) vs. KOSSA FC (SOL)
DOUGLAS FIELD
TRUSTS STADIUM
HENDERSON
AUCKLAND
NEW ZEALAND