Socceroos defender Cameron Burgess’s Asian Cup hopes appear in jeopardy following a possible Achilles injury while playing for Swansea City.
The towering central defender played every minute of the gruelling English Championship campaign last season.
That made for 4,140 minutes, plus stoppage time, across all 46 league matches.
But there are fears Burgess’s season is over after he limped off late in Swansea’s 1-0 League Cup loss to Birmingham City.
In the 87th minute he challenged for a header, landed awkwardly and grabbed at his right lower leg, prompting his Birmingham opponents to check on him.
The 30-year-old, who has 29 Socceroos caps, headed to hospital for scans.
Cameron Burgess played against Türkiye and the USA for the Socceroos at the World Cup. (Getty Images: Richard Heathcote)
“It doesn’t look good, but I prefer to wait for the assessment we will do,” Swansea head coach Vítor Matos said.
“It could be related to the Achilles, but let’s see.”
If Burgess has ruptured his Achilles, he faces a significant stint on the sidelines, ending his Asian Cup hopes.
Losing Burgess ahead of tournament, to be held in Saudi Arabia early next year, is a significant blow to Australia’s defensive stocks.
Burgess lost his starting spot to teen sensation Lucas Herrington during the World Cup, with coach Tony Popovic preferring a back three involving the teenager, Harry Souttar and Alessandro Circati.
But as a left-footer, Burgess is always a valuable part of Popovic’s squad.
Souttar spent more than a year on the sidelines after his own Achilles tear, while wing-back Lewis Miller is on the comeback trail from the same injury, which ruled him out of World Cup contention.
Star wing-back Jordan Bos is sidelined until about October after having surgery on the left knee injured in Australia’s round-of-32 loss to Egypt.
The Socceroos are next in action for friendlies against Brazil in Townsville on September 25 and Brisbane four days later.
AAP
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