Melbourne Victory’s season from hell has gone from bad to worse after confirmation that marquee signing Luis Nani has ruptured his ACL.
The news means the former Manchester United star’s dismal season with Victory has come to a premature end after he failed to score in 10 matches.
The 36-year-old hyperextended his knee while contesting a ball with Connor Chapman in the dying stages of Brisbane’s 1-0 win over Melbourne at AAMI Park on Friday night.
Nani clutches at his knee during the Victory’s match with the Brisbane Roar.Credit:Getty Images
The incident seemed innocuous and Nani was able to play out the final few minutes, given Victory had used up all their subs, although he was hobbling.
After the game, coach Tony Popovic admitted “it didn’t look great”, but remained optimistic that it may not be too serious.
However, those hopes were dashed by scans taken on Saturday which confirmed the club’s worst fears.
“We’re all disappointed for Luis,” Popovic said.
“Luis has been a big influence around the club through his leadership and experience, and he will be an incredible loss for our squad.
Nani controls the ball under pressure from Jordan Courtney-Perkins.Credit:Getty Images
“The entire club will rally around Luis and will support him through his recovery.”
Nani played more than 140 games for Manchester United between 2007 and 2015, and has appeared more than 100 times at senior level for Portugal – including the Euro 2016 final win over France.
It’s just the latest blow in what has been a disastrous season for Melbourne so far, both on and off the pitch.
Not only are they wallowing in the bottom two of the A-League Men ladder, having lost their past three games, but they still find themselves subject to a Football Australia (FA) investigation in relation to a violent pitch invasion on December 17.
The incident resulted in Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover and referee Alex King sustaining facial injuries, and the local derby being abandoned after about 20 minutes.
Police have charged at least 32 people over the incidents that made international headlines.
The pitch invasion came after fans voiced strong opposition at the move by the Australian Professional Leagues – which now runs the A-League – to sell the next three grand finals to Sydney. Until now, the top-ranked team had hosted the final.
So far, 17 people have received bans from football-related activity in Australia by FA, as a result of their involvement in the riot, including three life bans.
Friday night marked the first game that Victory were permitted to have members and fans attend since the abandoned derby.
But the Victory could yet be facing further sanctions from FA next week, as well as having a possible points deduction hanging over their heads.
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