Santalab will be out until January after requiring shoulder surgery.
Western Sydney Wanderers striker Brendon Santalab will miss the FIFA Club World Cup and a possible match up with Real Madrid after it was confirmed he needed surgery to repair a troublesome shoulder.
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Santalab dislocated the shoulder during the first leg of the Asian Champions League final against Al Hilal, but remarkably played in the second leg in Riyadh last Sunday.
The 32-year-old confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that he would undergo surgery on Friday.
I got the bad news from the surgeon this morning, and he’ll repair it on Friday,” Santalab told the Daily Telegraph.
“I think I did enough damage in the first leg to mean it would need an operation whatever happened.
“It was just up to me whether to play in the second leg and take the risk of further damage that could have been the end of the season.”
It’s a cruel blow for Santalab, who’ll now miss his side’s clash with Cruz Azul at the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco.
If the Wanderers are to defeat the Mexican giants, Real Madrid awaits.
“Missing out on something like Real Madrid is just part of the game really. I’m disappointed of course but to have an ACL winners’ medal, and to have played in both legs of the final, is just the biggest bonus of all,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“Looking back the risk I took was well worth it and definitely successful.”
The Wanderers take on Wellington Phoenix at Westpac Stadium on Friday as they look to get back on track in the A-League.