STEPHEN Laybutt's season and possibly his career is over after the former Socceroos hard man ruptured his Achilles tendon yesterday, further depleting Newcastle's already thin defensive stocks on the eve the A-League finals.
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Laybutt, 30, heard a "pop" before he crashed to the ground in agony during a training drill yesterday.
Scans last night confirmed he had snapped the Achilles in his left leg. He will have surgery this week and faces up to 12 months on the sideline.
"It was like someone had shot me in the back of the leg," Laybutt said yesterday.
Laybutt is the second defender the Jets have lost to a season-ending injury in the past fortnight after Steve Eagleton had surgery last week to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
"We lost 'Eags' and now we have lost another defender in 'Laybs', which makes it harder again," Jets coach Gary van Egmond said.
A hard-nosed centre half, Laybutt has made 10 appearances, seven in the starting side, since he joined the Jets on an injury waiver for Craig Deans in September.
His injury leaves captain Jade North and Socceroos train-on squad member Andrew Durante as the only recognised centre backs.
Adam Griffiths has played at the back but has been preferred in the middle of the park. Utility Paul Kohler also has experience in a defensive role.
The Jets are allowed to bring in a player on an injury waiver provided he is a free agent.
"We will have a look and see what our options are,' van Egmond said. "Our problem has been scoring goals, not stopping them.
"If we have an opportunity to bring someone in, I would suggest a striker or someone else in that front third would be more advantageous."
Former South Korean youth international Song Jin-hyung has been training with the Jets for the past week, but he would need a working visa and an international clearance from his former club, before being allowed to play.
"The Korean boy is more of a forward-type player," van Egmond said. "He is a free agent, but it is a matter of how long the visa takes."
Laybutt, who is off contract, was hoping to extend his stay in Newcastle but is now in limbo.
"I would love to stay here and I also had some interest from a couple of other clubs," he said.
"But I don't think too many people will be knocking on my door now. I just have to get the leg right. Six months is the best scenario, but I won't know until the surgery is done."
Apart from Laybutt and Eagleton, the Jets have been free of major injury setbacks.
"We have been fortunate with injuries, but I think that is because of what we do and the way we handle things," van Egmond said.
