Adelaide United defender Jordan Elsey out for season after damaging knee

ADELAIDE United defender Jordan Elsey has been ruled out for the A-League season after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for a second time.

ADELAIDE United defender Jordan Elsey has been ruled out for the A-League season.

Reds general manager of football Ante Kovacevic this morning confirmed Elsey, 22, had again ruptured his right knee anterior cruciate ligament.

Elsey damaged the knee during Adelaide’s preseason clash in a 3-0 win over Kuala Lumpur FC in Malaysia on August 30.

The defender continued to play despite suffering from discomfort before Reds medical stuff had him assessed in Adelaide, where his worst fears were confirmed., when he did the damage during a training session.

His injury leaves Adelaide extremely short on numbers given the Reds will start their title defence in just 26 days when they travel to Newcastle to face the Jets.

Adelaide is hoping to have Sergio Cirio (broken foot) and Iacopo La Rocca (fractured cheekbone) almost ready for the new season kickoff but playmaker Marcelo Carrusca’s foot injury is causing the Argentine a lot of concern.

Carrusca, 33, suffered the injury during Adelaide’s 1-2 FFA Cup shock loss to Redlands United in Brisbane last month.

Kovacevic said Carrusca had undergone scans on the impact injury, which was taking much longer to heal than expected.

With Reds right back Michael Marrone (achilles) not yet in full training after he last saw action in United’s brilliant 3-1 grand final win over Western Sydney at Adelaide Oval in May, Adelaide’s continuing bad luck will be put to the test once the season kicks off.

Marrone, 29, is expected to be fully fit by the end of the year.

“They’re (Adelaide’s medical staff) making sure I’m not pushing myself too early,’’ said Marrone.

“But I feel really good, I’m happy with the way surgery went and now it’s just a matter of doing all the right things to get myself back.”