The bad news Joe Keenan was hoping not to hear has been confirmed, with the midfielder’s season coming to an abrupt and ill-fated end after he suffered a broken leg in the Reds’ loss to Brisbane Roar.
X-rays revealed Keenan had fractured his left fibula in the dying minutes of Sunday-s match with Brisbane, the English born midfielder stretchered from the ground immediately knowing the damage was significant.
“I knew straight away. I heard a crack and I-ve done it before on my right leg so I knew instantaneously that it wasn-t good,” Keenan said.
“I just got my studs caught in the turf and the pressure from the guy behind me was pushing me forward and my foot stayed where it was.”
“He was just going for the ball, it was just very unlucky with my studs getting caught in the turf, and I think it was because I had a bad touch as well so he was able to close me down, so it-s disappointing.”
The injury could not have come at a worse time for Keenan, who has been one of the Reds- most consistent performers in the club-s recent jam packed schedule. Keenan has been on a temporary injury replacement contract and was pushing his case for possible inclusion into Rini Coolen-s squad for next season.
Originally Keenan-s contract was meant to finish at the end of December, but the club managed to get permission to have it extended, with his final game set to have been this Sunday-s match against his former side Melbourne Victory.
Now any plans of a fairytale finish against his old club and the Reds- great rivals have been quashed, this setback definitely not the note Keenan was hoping to finish on.
“That-s the hardest thing about it. I-ve just started playing again and I-ve been pleased with getting a start in the team, and although the results haven-t really been going that well, personally it has been good to be playing,” Keenan said.
“My contract is due to expire on Sunday and there was a big game against Melbourne Victory my old club, which would have been nice to play in, so the timing could have been better.”
If Keenan could find a positive out of the situation it is that the fracture is only expected to keep him out of action for less than two months.
“Luckily as far as breaks go it-s a good one,” Keenan said.
“It-s just the small bone on the outside and the bone is still nicely in line so it should heal by itself without an operation, so I-ll just keep the boot on for six weeks and have an x-ray in a week to make sure it-s healing straight, and then start getting the mobility and the fitness back.”
Keenan is unsure about what lies ahead for him in a football sense, the 27 year olds stint with the Reds putting him in the eye of all eleven Hyundai A-League clubs. Whether he is given the chance to continue reigniting his professional career or return to play in the Victorian Primer League is still to be seen, but for now he is just focused on a successful rehabilitation.
“It-s all a bit in limbo with my contract ending on Sunday and now this has happened, I need a bit of rehab and things like that so I-ll speak with the club in the coming days,” Keenan said.
Initially invited to join Adelaide United back in August as injury cover, Keenan confessed he did not see it coming that he would still be with the club into the New Year, and he is grateful for the opportunity.
“It has been great at a time when I didn-t really expect it,” Keenan said of his time with the Reds.
“I thought maybe my professional days were behind me and then the opportunity came up to come here as an injury replacement and I-ve just had a great time.”
“The players, the supporters, the club doing as well as it has, I-ve been really enjoying my football.”
