Melbourne City’s head coach, Aurelio Vidmar, announced that experienced defender Samuel Souprayen has been sidelined for the rest of the Isuzu UTE A-League season, while rising star Lawrence Wong is currently healing from a fractured wrist.
Souprayen has clocked up 21 appearances and netted a goal this season, but the 36-year-old has been off the pitch since May 5 due to a calf injury as City heads into Saturday night’s Semi-Final second leg against Western United with a 3-0 advantage.
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On the brink of the AAMI Park clash, which holds the promise of a spot in the Grand Final, Vidmar disclosed that Souprayen’s recovery has taken a turn for the worse, with Socceroo Jimmy Jeggo also ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.
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“I can confirm that Sammy won’t be participating any further,” Vidmar stated to the media. “Sadly, he hasn’t shown any improvement with that calf injury.
“I think I mentioned last week that he made some progress but ultimately regressed, and he’s just not healed.
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“We had further imaging at the beginning of the week, and he still has a slight strain. He simply won’t have enough time to recuperate, so we regrettably had to rule him out for the season.”
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Jeggo’s situation mirrors that of Souprayen, as he has been unable to play since December due to an Achilles injury.
“He has faced multiple problems with his Achilles, but he’s feeling a lot better now,” Vidmar mentioned. “He was cleared to advance with his training a few weeks back, and that’s what he has been working on.
“He participated in parts of training last week and is expected to join in again today for a light session to further enhance his fitness levels.
“However, he’s not going to be an option for the final weeks of this season.”
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On a different note, Vidmar also shared that young talent Wong is grappling with a fractured wrist incurred during a recent NPL match against City last week.
The 17-year-old has featured in 15 matches this season, scoring once. He played as a substitute in the first leg against Western United.
However, it remains uncertain if Wong will be fit to play in the second leg.
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“It’s unfortunate for Lawrence Wong, who fractured his wrist in the NPL match last weekend,” Vidmar commented. “He’s had to have a splint or cast fitted to his arm.
“Now the question is whether he’ll feel comfortable wearing it and be mentally prepared for the contact and any potential falls.”
“We also need assurance from the league and officials that whatever he wears will be compliant for match play.”
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