Having resolved his work visa issues, New Zealand international striker Max Mata has been sidelined by a calf injury as he tries to make his debut for English League One club Shrewsbury Town.
Problems with his work permit delayed Mata’s introduction to English football, following his transfer from League of Ireland’s Sligo Rovers, but on the day he was cleared, he suffered an injury in training.
Main photo: Max Mata … still waiting to get on the pitch for new club Shrewsbury Town.
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“It is nothing serious; he is out for five to seven days, so we anticipate he will be available for next weekend,” head coach Matt Taylor told the club’s website.
Taylor said the injury was a “slight calf tear”.
Resolving the visa process had been “arduous”, Taylor said, and “it’s not been cheap either.”
“But he will still score goals for us and we are only in the fourth game of the season.”
Shrewsbury lost 0-1 at home to Lincon City last weekend and Taylor hopes Mata will be available for the August 26 match against Fleetwood Town.
Taylor told the Shropshire Star he felt Mata could have made a difference against Lincoln.
“I’m really disappointed that Max wasn’t able to affect the squad (on Saturday),” Taylor said.
“I think that minus if he didn’t have the calf injury, you’d have seen him.
“He’d have given us a different dimension, a different element. But, it is what it is.”
The All Whites play Australia’s Socceroos in London on Tuesday October 17.
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