Ħamrun Spartans will be without their regular goalkeeper Henry Bonello for several weeks after the towering custodian picked up an ankle injury during Malta’s World Cup qualifier against Cyprus in Larnaca on Wednesday.
The towering goalkeeper was stretchered off the pitch in the closing stages of Monday’s match against Cyprus after he picked up an ankle injury in the action that led to Cyprus’ second goal.
The former Valletta goalkeeper was visibly in pain and had to be carried off the pitch with his place in goal taken by Balzan goalkeeper Jake Galea.
Initial tests carried out in Cyprus had hinted that Bonello might have suffered a hairline fracture in his ankle and his foot was put in a cast.
But on his return to Malta, Bonello underwent an MRI scan that showed that he had strained his ankle ligament which means that he is likely to be out of action for at least six weeks. This means that Bonello is likely to rule him out of Malta’s final World Cup qualifiers against Croatia and Slovakia next month.
The loss of Bonello for the Spartans is surely a big loss with the Reds now likely to bank on either Spanish goalkeeper Pablo Sanchez or young Mathias Debono who will battle it out for the number one jersey.
The Spartans face Gżira United on Saturday.
