Nabbout doubt for Asian Cup
WORLD Cup starting striker Andrew Nabbout will have shoulder surgery and faces the prospect of missing January’s Asian Cup during a six-month layoff.
Nabbout watched the Peru loss with his arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder in the draw with Denmark.
Having done the same injury for Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds in early May, the former Newcastle Jets attacker knew he was in trouble but admits the news of the major operation rocked him.
“I’m flying to Melbourne to have surgery on my shoulder. I’ve been told the rehab’s about six months. I think it’s a reconstruction,’’ Nabbout said.
“I was gutted. I knew the fact that I did it a second time (the first was May 2), I needed an op, but I wasn’t aware that it was six months of rehab. But that’s football. It is a painful one but hopefully I can make it back in less and be ready for the Asian Cup.”
Dumped by Melbourne Victory and then a Malaysian second division club, Nabbout, 25, was effusive in his praise of coach Bert van Marwijk, who handed him a Socceroos debut and picked him as his chief Russia 2018 striker.
“It’s no secret he believed in me a lot. I’m not naturally a striker, I’m usually a winger,’’ he said. “To be believed in by a coach like that and to continue to work on me is a huge confidence boost, someone of his calibre to throw me into the starting line-up two games in a row against very big teams was massive.”