Cairns Taipans to lose star import Scott Machado for several weeks

##MP##

Point guard Scott Machado will sit on the sideline as the Cairns Taipans head into round three of the NBL22 season this weekend, following an ankle injury sustained in the Snakes’ last game.

Machado went down just six minutes into the first quarter against the Tasmania JackJumpers on Saturday.

He remained on the bench to watch the team clinch a 69-62 victory – the first of the season.

Though the initial assessment wasn’t “overly severe”, returned scan results have revealed damage to the player’s Achilles, with a rest period of four to six weeks required.  

##BA##

##PQ##

“Machado hurt his heel in the first quarter against Tasmania and as a precaution, he was rested for the remainder of the game,” a Cairns Taipans spokesperson said.

“However, further scans have revealed an irritation to the base of his Achilles tendon.

“He has been advised that a period of rest and rehabilitation is necessary for a full recovery.”

While fixtures after round six are yet to be released, it’s likely Machado will be out for at least six games.

It was another blow to the Taipans who battled out the second round without Mirko Djeric and Jordan Ngatai, who are also recovering from injuries sustained in pre-season matches and training.

They were suited up to play Saturday’s game, but new Head Coach Adam Forde kept them off as a precaution.

“I didn’t feel like there was an appropriate time to inject them into the game and that’s where we’re at with that,” he said.

“That was my call in the end.

“We’ll keep bringing them back up to that game conditioning.”

Though they’ve been given the all-clear, it’s not promised Djeric and Ngatai will return to the Cairns Convention Centre court this Saturday for the clash against the Adelaide 36ers.

The team is anticipating Machado’s return by the end of January.