POWERHOUSE striker Abdiel Arroyo will play out the A-League season with the Newcastle Jets after Panamanian club Arabe Unido agreed to extend his loan by three months.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Arroyo's deal with Newcastle expires on May 31.
However, Jets CEO Lawrie McKinna said the international had been given the green light to continue in Newcastle once the A-League season resumes.
Football Federation Australia are working with players union, Professional Footballers Australia, and the government on a return date.
McKinna anticipates the Jets will be back training in July, with the competition to restart in August.
"We contacted Arroyo's agent requesting that the loan be extended and the club was happy for him to stay until the end of August," McKinna said. "There was interest in him from Korea, Japan and the MLS but Arroyo was happy to stay in Newcastle."
The Jets have five games remaining, which will be played behind closed doors most likely at a centralised hub over three weeks, plus potentially finals.
They are ninth on 24 points, but are only three points outside the top six.
Arroyo has scored two goals in 14 appearances for the Jets and was part of a new-look strike force under new coach Carl Robinson, which has netted seven goals in the past three games.
Unlike Bobby Burns, who returned home to Northern Ireland, Arroyo was forced to stay in Newcastle after Panama closed its borders.
Midfielder Joe Ledley (Wales), coach Carl Robinson (Canada) and assistant coach Kenny Miller (Scotland) have also returned home.
Ledley and Burns may not return but McKinna was confident the coaching staff would be back on deck for the start of training.
"Carl and Kenny are starting to look into when they can return," McKinna said. "Their working visas are valid and it is a case of waiting for the border restrictions to loosen. We have seven weeks before we start training. In seven weeks the world could change. Look what has happened in the last seven weeks. If the curve continues to flatten, I reckon international borders will open for people who have work visas."
In the meantime, Robinson and Miller are working from afar.
"We are having a hook-up with the football staff on Tuesday," McKinna said. "Players have fitness and gym programs which they have been undertaking. They will need to change that now."
Plans to complete the season were confirmed after Foxtel paid its $12 million quarterly payment to the FFA last Friday.
That money is normally carved up and distributed to the clubs to pay wages.
The Jets were among seven clubs to stand players down a month ago. The Jets have registered for the Jobkeeper allowance and paid the players and staff $3000 each for the past month ($750 per week), which will be reimbursed by the government.
"The foreign players don't qualify for the Jobkeeper allowance, but we paid them anyway," McKinna said.
The PFA and FFA and working through a number of issues regarding health and safety protocols and a likley reduction in wages before the players take to the field.
Other issues include how much time teams will be given to train before the season resumes and how many day's break they will receive between games.
