A-League 2020: Knee injury to sideline Robbie Kruse for rest of A-League season
Melbourne Victory’s disappointing A-League season has suffered another blow, with Robbie Kruse suffering a knee injury.
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Socceroos and Melbourne Victory attacker Robbie Kruse will miss the rest of the A-League season after suffering a knee injury on the training paddock.
Kruse, who has only made 11 A-League appearances since returning to the Victory last year from Germany, had been preparing for the re-start of the Victory’s campaign against Western United on Saturday at Bankwest Stadium.
But after hurting his knee while training in quarantine in NSW with his Victory teammates, Kruse is set to head to his home city of Brisbane.
While his knee may require minor surgery, Kruse is expected to be fit for the start of the 2020-21 A-League season in December.
The 10th-placed Victory are all but out of finals contention this season, with 31-year-old Kruse's injury the latest blow in what has been a disappointing campaign for the former competition heavyweights.
The Victory had already lost talisman Ola Toivonen, who left the club during the A-League’s enforced suspension to join Swedish club Malmo, and German defender Tim Hoogland.
Interim head coach Grant Brebner, who took over from departed Spanish mentor Carlos Salvachua, intends to give youth a chance in the Victory’s five remaining regular-season games.
“In that first game (against Western United) we will definitely have some players making their debut and moving forward, we will have players being thrown into the deep end,” Brebner told the Victory website.
“Young players can bring the hunger that we need. They are not just here to play that position, they are here to stake a claim for that position.
“I now have an opportunity to play players and they can step out of the shadows. There is no pressure on us, so we can go about our business and play with freedom.”