Brisbane Roar are fuming after goalkeeper Jamie Young suffered a horrendous injury in Thailand, which left him in doubt for Sunday’s semifinal against Melbourne Victory.
Young’s arm was cut open after colliding with a rusty hook on the post as he tracked Spanish striker Xisco’s opening goal in the first half.
Young required 26 stitches and might not play against Melbourne Victory until his arm is properly assessed on Friday.
The Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has flagged the issue with the Asian Football Confederation and is awaiting a response, with the Roar also preparing to file an official complaint.
“Given the extent of Jamie’s injury, it is clear that the goalpost did not comply with the AFC Stadium Regulations, posing a significant danger to the players,” PFA chief executive John Didulica told ESPN FC.
The same goalmouth was inspected at length by officials before the match who found the net was not properly secured, leading kick-off to be delayed by five minutes.
The AFC said it was aware of the incident and was awaiting a report from the match commissioner before determining what action, if any, will be taken against Muangthong.
“AFC wishes the player involved a speedy and complete recovery from his injury,” an AFC spokesperson said in a statement.
If Young’s arm does not heal in time, 19-year-old Tomislav Bilic will don the gloves in front of a hostile AAMI Park crowd.
Bilic has not played a single minute of A-League football and made his senior debut when he was subbed on for Young in the 38th minute against Muangthong.