Injury blow for Sydney FC ahead of FFA Cup Final

Sydney FC will have to make do without marquee midfielder Siem de Jong in Tuesday’s FFA Cup Final in Adelaide.

The Sky Blues import injured his hamstring in Saturday night’s Sydney Derby, lasting just 20 minutes as a second-half substitute.

The move to start De Jong on the bench was designed to keep him fresh for Tuesday’s Coopers Stadium showpiece against Adelaide United but, frustratingly for Sydney FC boss Steve Corica, it backfired.

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“I think a low-grade strain of the hamstring, but I’d say he’d be out of the Cup on Tuesday,” Corica said on Saturday evening.

“That was the point we put him on the bench in the first place - to rest him and not give him 90 minutes, because I wanted him to be fresh on Tuesday night for the Cup.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way.

“The physio says [it is] a low-grade strain, so hopefully that’s the way it is.”

De Jong has battled injuries on a regular basis through his career and his near-certain absence in the FFA Cup Final will force Corica to shuffle his pack.

De Silva boost

But there was some good news for Sky Blues fans, with young midfielder Danny De Silva set to be involved in the decider.

De Silva, on loan from the Central Coast Mariners, has battled hamstring problems of his own.

“Danny will be available on Tuesday,” Corica said.

“Whether he starts, I’m not so sure yet … but, yeah, he’ll be involved.

“He’s looking good at training and I’m looking forward to having him back.”