Top soccer stars out?

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34089, 28 February 1976, Page 52

Top soccer stars out?

(N.Z. Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

The New Zealand striker, Kevin Mulgrew, has only a 50-50 chance of playing in tomorrow’s soccer international against Australia at Newmarket Park.

Mulgrew badly damaged his right ankle playing for Christchurch United in a club game on Wednesday night. He is receiving intensive treatment and cortizone injections in an all-out bid to make the clash with the “Socceroos.”

He was only a spectator at vesterday’s training sessions under the national coach, Mr Barrie Truman, at the Dilworth School and gave himself only a 50 per cent chance of playing.

“What a time for this to happen,” a rather dejected Mulgrew said. “The big chance to beat Australia and I go and do this. 1 can only hope that the treatment does The trick and I’ll get my ; chance.”

Truman has another injury (worry with Mount WellingI ton's striker, Kevin Weymouth. He also damaged an ankle in a club game two weeks ago and is undergoing treatment to bring him back to match fitness.

Weymouth said yesterday he did not think he could be considered for Sunday’s game and that his prospects for the return international in Melbourne on Tuesday night were also slim. He damaged ligaments stretching for a ball, and finds the injury painful whenever he strikes the ball.

Truman will not name his final line-up until the situation regarding Mulgrew in particular is clear. The rest of Truman’s 16-man squad is fully fit, however, and moved impressively in training yesterday.

Mr Truman has the former New Zealand internationals, Dennis Tindall and Clive Campbell, standing by to join the national soccer squad for the games against Australia. He is concerned that he could be without the services of both Mulgrew and Weymouth.

Boxing.—Eder Jofre of Brazil, the former world bantam-weight and feather-weight boxing champion, made a successful comeback, after 15 months absence from the ring, by beating former Italian feather-weight champion. Enzo Farinelli, in Rio de Janeiro.