Manly star Tom Trbojevic has suffered a further hamstring setback and will now miss the beginning of the 2021 NRL season.
The Sea Eagles have confirmed that the star fullback has sustained a grade two tear in his right hamstring, ruling him out for the opening month of the season.
“I’m devasted by what’s happened. I will be working hard with the rehab team to get the hamstring right,’’ Trbojevic said, per the club website.
The 24-year-old played just the one match after Round 6 last year following ongoing issues with his left hamstring and has been limited to just the 19 games across the past two seasons.
Sea Eagles chief executive Stephen Humphreys revealed that Trbojevic sustained the injury after taking a fall in the bathroom, despite footage emerging of the fullback sprinting in The Corso on the weekend.
#EXCLUSIVE: This is the vision of Tom Trbojevic sprinting in The Corso, in Manly, Saturday night.
The Sea Eagles insist this is not when he injured himself.
Trbojevic maintains he was injured slipping in the bathroom.
Full story with @Danny_Weidler tonight at 6.00pm on #9News pic.twitter.com/b7LUEXw8MD
— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) February 22, 2021
"Tom gave us a full explanation of how the injury occurred including the events of the prior day and evening, Humphreys said, per The Daily Telegraph.
“He was very open and adamant about what had happened. I understand the inferences some may make but it is just a really unfortunate accident.
Trbojevic fronted the media on Monday, stating: “It’s actually pretty embarrassing to say".
“I woke up yesterday and slipped over in the bathroom. I felt it go. It’s pretty hard to take. I don’t know what else to say.
“I just slipped over, that’s literally what it was. Like I said, it’s pretty embarrassing. I do apologise to the Manly club as an organization and to all the members that I won’t be out there playing footy early this year.
“It didn’t feel great (when I slipped). Obviously I have felt that feeling before so I kind of knew pretty quickly. I’m devastated by what has happened.
“It’s obviously not ideal. I have been working very hard this off-season so to find out I will miss footy is pretty disappointing.”
The injury will have a large impact on the Sea Eagles' campaign early, with the club already showing a heavy dependency on the NSW star.
If Trbojevic misses the opening four rounds of the season, he will be ruled out against the Roosters, Rabbitohs, Dragons and Panthers.
