Melbourne Victory right-back Joshua Inserra will miss Wednesday’s AFC Champions League Two match against Persib Bandung after going to hospital following Saturday’s Melbourne Derby.
The 21-year-old defender did not travel with the squad to Indonesia for the Group E game at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium. Inserra came off in the 71st minute of Victory’s 1-1 draw against Melbourne City at AAMI Park with a suspected back injury. He was taken to hospital for assessment after the final whistle.
Victory have not confirmed the exact nature of the injury or given a date for his return. The club’s official match preview noted that Inserra remained under observation following his hospital assessment. His availability for Sunday’s home A-League Men match against Central Coast Mariners also remains unclear.
The Cairns Post reported that Victory head coach Giovanni Savarese praised Inserra’s form this season and confirmed the medical staff would monitor his recovery.
“He’s been phenomenal this season, so we’ll see how he’s going to bounce back,” Savarese said.
Inserra’s absence leaves Victory looking at their options on the right side of defence while managing a heavy schedule. Centre-back Tom Lockyer is available after sitting on the bench as an unused substitute against Melbourne City. However, Lockyer plays in the middle of the backline rather than at right-back, meaning he is not a direct replacement for Inserra.
Savarese explained that the coaching staff must carefully manage player workloads and rotate the squad during a demanding stretch of five matches in two weeks. After returning from Indonesia to host Central Coast Mariners on Sunday, Victory will play their return fixture against Persib on Wednesday, 4 November.
Also Read: Rotherham midfielder Jamie Jellis sidelined with knee injury
Both sides go into Wednesday’s contest unbeaten in Group E. Persib sit top of the standings with six points from their first two matches. Victory follow in second place on four points after drawing with Thể Công Viettel and recording a 3-0 win over FC Seoul. For now, the Australian side must take on the group leaders without one of their main right-back options while waiting for further updates on Inserra’s condition.
