Canberra United just can't catch a break.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Before the season began United had its academy scrapped, then the chief executive of Capital Football who runs the A-League Women team resigned.
The Unite Round announcement saw Canberra lose a home game, and their title campaign has been hurt by back-to-back postponed matches at late notice.
Now Chilean international Maria 'Cote' Rojas and Canberran midfielder Hayley Taylor-Young are injured.
![Maria Rojas has a strong Chilean fanbase. Picture Instagram Maria Rojas has a strong Chilean fanbase. Picture Instagram](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/64570f80-f781-41f5-8df6-52a3f4c7496d.png/r0_109_1166_765_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Young is out for the remainder of the season following a torn ankle ligament injury in the lead-up to United's round six game against Newcastle Jets at McKellar Park this Saturday.
It's understood to be a re-injury of the same ankle she had surgery on in the off-season.
Meanwhile, Rojas is out with a knee injury, with initial scans revealing a medial ligament issue which could keep her out for a month.
"She's rarely injured and even when she is, she still wants to train," coach Njegosh Popovich said of Rojas.
"We've got a good medical team supporting her so we'll have to wait and see how long it take for her to get out of the brace."
Having not played a competitive game in three weeks, United have had inter-squad matches to stay match-fit.
![Hayley Taylor-Young's season is over. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Hayley Taylor-Young's season is over. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/0505b732-0e40-4f07-89d4-0f12408e019a.jpg/r0_552_5400_3600_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
In what is the longest home-and-away A-League Women season ever, United's depth was always going to be tested, but injuries to Rojas and Taylor-Young so early in the year is a blow for Popovich.
Taylor-Young has already had surgery and is now preparing for the rehab process.
"She's hard to replace, but we will keep moving forward," Popovich said. "You're never okay losing a player. It affects the mood, the training sessions, everything.
"It's difficult, but we're a good group, and we've got to make sure they're focused going into every match."
A-League Women - Round 6
Sunday: Canberra United v Newcastle Jets, 4pm at McKellar Park