Melbourne Victory captain Mark Milligan has undergone minor arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will miss around 4-6 weeks of football.
With the injury flaring up again in training last Thursday, the club’s medical team felt that surgery was the best course of action for Milligan, having put the procedure off since the beginning of the season.
Milligan’s knee injury caused plenty of conjecture back in Round 1, with then Victory head coach Ange Postecoglou furious that his captain was forced to travel to France despite the club insisting he would have been best served staying in Melbourne.
His knee flared up on the plane ride to Europe, and was flown home immediately for Victory’s medical staff to assess the damage.
Having missed Friday night’s game against Newcastle Jets, there was some hope that he may have been fit for tonight’s clash against Western Sydney Wanderers.
Instead, Milligan now joins the Victory’s casualty ward which includes Mitch Nichols, leaving Victory with few options in midfield.
Rashid Mahazi will keep his place in the starting eleven, and will most likely be partnered by Jimmy Jeggo, while there may also be a debut off the bench for 17 year old Jordan Brown, who was added to the extended squad.