Injury blow for Heskey

Former England international Emile Heskey suffered a knee injury in an A-League pre-season friendly on Wednesday.

The Newcastle Jets forward could miss the start of the Australian domestic season after hurting himself in a challenge with Melbourne Victory’s Nick Ansell in a game played behind closed doors at AAMI Park.

The 35-year-old, who won 62 international caps, had to be helped from the field and was later seen limping heavily.

After the match, the ex-Liverpool man confirmed that he had sustained a knee problem and that he expected to undergo scans on Thursday.

Jets coach Gary van Egmond said: “Emile unfortunately has hurt that knee.

“It looks probably a three to four-weeker, it’s early doors so we don’t know exactly the extent. It’s on his ligament, his medial … it’s not snapped or anything like that.”

When asked if Heskey was in doubt for the opening round of the season, Van Egmond said: “Yes, for sure. That’s not what you want to get out of these games.”

Newcastle kick off the new A-League season away to Sydney FC on October 11.