Galekovic injury compounds Adelaide woes

Adelaide torrid A-League title defence has taken another turn for the worse, with Eugene Galekovic four for a lengthy period.

Adelaide United captain Eugene Galekovic has injured his shoulder. Picture: Greg Higgs

Adelaide United’s torrid A-League title defence has taken another turn for the worse, with goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The Reds skipper was forced off the pitch 30 minutes into Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Central Coast in Canberra after suffering a suspected torn lateral muscle in his shoulder.

That diagnosis would only compound the woes of Guillermo Amor’s underperforming champ­ions, who are now last by five points and about to embark on a gruelling Asian Champions League campaign.

After upcoming home matches against Perth and Newcastle, Adelaide will host their first ACL group game before visiting Melbourne Victory three days later, flying to China to face Jiangsu Suning then returning to Sydney to play the Wanderers.

Sunday gave the Reds an unwelcome preview of what a match is like without Galekovic’s composed presence in goal.

His replacement John Hall conceded the opener within six minutes of his introduction, caught off his line in a panicked bid to thwart speedy Mariners winger Trent Buhagiar.

AAP