Young Star's Career Hangs in the Balance After Injury Setback
Newcastle Jets coach Mark Milligan expects Oscar Fryer to miss the rest of the A-League season following a severe knee injury. The teenage player likely ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during the Jets' 4-1 loss to Sydney FC at McDonald Jones Stadium.
"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."
Team Injury Challenges
The Jets are already struggling with the absence of key players. Japanese star Kota Mizunuma and last season's top scorer Eli Adams remain sidelined with long-term hamstring injuries. Mizunuma has missed the season's first three games and has only recently returned to light training. Adams is still expected to be out for several more weeks.
Frustration Over Injury Replacement Rules
Milligan expressed frustration with the league's regulation allowing injury replacements only for players earning over $300,000 per season. This means that with serious injuries like those to Mizunuma and Fryer, Newcastle cannot sign replacements due to the players' lower contract values.
"We have had the same issue with Kota," Milligan explained. "When we have serious injuries in the club, we are unable to replace them because we don't meet the threshold money-wise, which I think is absolutely ridiculous."
He added, "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."
Summary
Newcastle Jets face a difficult period with multiple key injuries and restrictive replacement rules, putting young talents like Oscar Fryer at risk of missing crucial development time this season.
Author’s summary: The Jets’ young star Fryer faces a tough season ahead due to injury, while restrictive league rules prevent signing needed replacements, deepening the team's struggles.