Macarthur FC’s hopes of finishing in the A-league’s top six have been dealt a huge blow with their inspirational captain Ulises Davila ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Mexican midfielder, hailed by former Bulls coach Dwight Yorke as the competition’s best player, had surgery on Wednesday after it was discovered following Macarthur’s 1-0 home loss to Newcastle on Saturday night that he had a torn meniscus.
The match took almost four hours to complete because of two delays for lightning and stormy conditions.
It’s understood that Davila, a former Johnny Warren medallist, carried a minor knee problem into the game, but it’s unknown if the time it took to complete the contest, as well as the stop-start nature of the night, contributed to the serious injury which was later diagnosed.
“The club wishes Davila a quick recovery and looks forward to his return ahead of the start of next season,” the Bulls said in a statement.
Macarthur, who meet the Western Sydney Wanderers in a derby on Saturday night at CommBank Stadium, are in eighth place on the ladder, three points outside the top six.
In other A-League injury news, influential Roar midfielder Jay O’Shea will miss his side’s home clash against Perth Glory on Sunday after breaking his toe in Brisbane’s 1-1 draw with Sydney FC last Saturday at Allianz Stadium.
