Melbourne Heart’s new marquee signing Orlando Engelaar was taken to hospital last night.
Melbourne Heart-s new marquee signing Orlando Engelaar was taken to hospital last night after sustaining an injury in the Club’s pre-season match against Brisbane Roar.
The midfielder has undergone scans and is being assessed.
The injury occurred just prior to the half-hour mark, after Engelaar clashed heavily with Thomas Broich as both players jostled for the ball.
The pair stayed down after the heavy collision, but while Broich soon resumed, Engelaar was carried off and replaced by Paulo Retre.
“We-re not 100 per cent sure yet but it looks like a fracture, which is terrible news,” said Aloisi after the match in northern New South Wales.
“It-s a shame because he just got off the plane. I thought I-d get him straight into it and play some football because we need to get used to the way he plays and he needs to get used to our style.
“For this to happen so early in the pre-season is hard to take.”
Heart-s other big off-season signing Harry Kewell was similarly anxious for his new teammate, but was hopeful Engelaar would not face a lengthy period on the sidelines.
“I hear on the grapevine it-s not great at the moment for Orlando,” Kewell said.
“Hopefully it-ll be all good because he-s going to be an important player for us.”
“This was the first big kind of test for us.
“That-s why I-ve come out here three months before the season started, to get to know the boys and get to know how they play.”
