INJURY DELAYS DEBUT BUT UPBEAT TAN IN GOOD HANDS

Roar's set-up impresses Danelle who misses out on A-League opener due to knee issue

- Deepanraj Ganesan

A look around the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre field during training and Singapore national footballer Danelle Tan knows that she is now in an environment like never before.

To her right stands Tameka Yallop, a veteran midfielder with over 100 caps for Australia, including appearances at multiple Women's World Cups and Olympics. To her left is Evdokiya Popadinova, a six-time Bulgarian Women's Footballer of the Year and former forward for clubs such as Napoli and Lazio.

It is a step-up at top-tier Australian club Brisbane Roar, with whom Tan has been training since September. While the forward has been ruled out of their Nov 2 opener of the 2024-25 A-League Women season at Canberra United due to a knee issue, she remains upbeat that she will be back soon as she knows that she is in good hands.

The 20-year-old told The Straits Times that her right knee had swelled up after a recent pre-season friendly. She will see a specialist next week to determine if she needs keyhole surgery, a minimally invasive procedure, to remove the loose bodies around her knee that are the likely cause of swelling.