Hammy injury grounds Jets back Georgievski

Oct 31, 2017 - 5:54 AM Injuries are clouding Newcastle's hot start to the A-League season, with defender Daniel Georgievski to miss multiple matches and midfielder Ben Kantarovski in doubt for their next game.

The Jets are running third with eight points from four games having notched two wins and two draws.

However, last week they lost classy Venezuelan playmaker Ronald Vargas for most of the season after he suffered a broken and dislocated ankle.

Australian-born Macedonian international defender Georgievski was replaced after just 12 minutes of last Sunday's home game against Western Sydney.

"Daniel Georgievski has got a grade one hamstring tear, that's why we took him off early," Jets coach Ernie Merrick said on Tuesday.

"We weren't going to risk him, keep him on, and it could have been a six to eight week injury.

"We've got it early, we're hoping it will be about three weeks, maybe four weeks max and he's straight back into his rehab training.

"The other injury we've got is a haematoma to Ben Kantarovski on his thigh.

"It's pretty bad, so he'll be touch and go for the weekend.

"I thought Jason (Hoffman) did really well when he came on and he's going to fill that spot."

The Jets next game is at home on Saturday to winless Wellington Phoenix, who Merrick coached for three and a half years before standing down in December 2016.

"Wellington are desperate for a win, there's no doubt they are going to come over here and come at us," Merrick said.

"They've signed a lot of players and up front they will be pretty determined to cause us problems but we're aware of that.

"They are a different team from the team I coached, but we'll have a good look at them.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my three years over there, for 90 minutes though it's us against them and we'll shake hands afterwards, but it's all about winning matches."

Source: AAP