Young Star's Career at Risk After Severe Injury
Newcastle Jets coach Mark Milligan announced that Oscar Fryer is expected to miss the rest of the A-League season due to a serious knee injury. The teenage talent likely suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the Jets' 4-1 loss to Sydney FC at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Coach Milligan's Response to the Injury
"There are a few things to go through, but it doesn't look great. 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 also missing key players Kota Mizunuma and Eli Adams due to long-term hamstring injuries. Mizunuma has only just returned to light training after missing the opening three games, while Adams remains unavailable for several more weeks.
Issues with Injury Replacement Regulations
Previously, clubs could sign injury replacements, but the current rule restricts this to players earning over $300,000 per season. Milligan criticized this policy, noting it prevents teams like the Jets from replacing injured players due to budget limits.
"We have had the same issue with Kota. 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. 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
Oscar Fryer's injury significantly weakens Newcastle Jets amid ongoing squad challenges and restrictive league rules on player replacements.
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