NZ Breakers expect Finn Delany to miss a further three to five weeks with calf injury

Finn Delany suffered a calf injury in the days before Christmas. Photo / Photosport

The New Zealand Breakers are prepared for a long wait before Finn Delany is available to play again.

Just as it looked like coach Mody Maor would finally have a full squad to choose from, the Tall Blacks star suffered a calf injury just before Christmas. While the club didn’t put a timeline on his return, ESPN reported the 28-year-old would be ruled out for four to six weeks.

Three weeks on, Maor told the Herald Delany was “still ways away” and was expecting to be without him for anywhere from three to five weeks more.

Injuries have largely dictated the Breakers’ season to this point, however they have had positive news on that front with Zylan Cheatham and Will McDowell-White working their way back towards full health after overcoming leg injuries.

The pair were both able to return under minutes restrictions before Christmas, and Cheatham has made great strides - playing 34 minutes in the side’s 108-102 loss to the Perth Wildcats last Sunday.

As the team now head out on a two-game road trip, hosting Melbourne United in New Plymouth on Friday night before visiting the Sydney Kings on Sunday, Maor was content with how the pair had been building since being reintroduced.

“Zylan looks great,” Maor said. “He’s really been incorporated well physically. He played 34 minutes - not all of them at peak effort and intensity but you don’t expect that the first time someone hits that 30 mark.

“Will is coming along. It’s still not exactly where we want it to be but it’s definitely improving.”

Since the pair have returned, the Breakers have played like a team with championship credentials, winning four in a row before the loss to Perth in a game they led by 14 points at one stage.

After the game, Maor said his side were taught some lessons by the second-placed Wildcats, and will look to put those lessons into action against first-placed Melbourne on Friday night.

While the Breakers are coming out the other side of recent injury issues, Melbourne will be without star duo Shea Ili (concussion) and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr (personal reasons) for the clash in New Plymouth.

They’re big losses for United. When the sides met back in round four, Ili and Lual-Acuil Jr combined for 32 points and seven of the team’s 15 assists in a 97-88 win. Lual-Acuil Jr is also the league leader in blocked shots, rejecting about two per game, and is among the league’s rebounding leaders.

They’ll still have threats, including sharpshooter Chris Goulding and former NBA player Ian Clark, but the Breakers will be looking to take advantage of the situation.

While the game in New Plymouth is a home game for the Breakers, Maor said it was just the same as a road trip, making this week’s stretch a two-game venture before returning back to Auckland next week.

“Don’t get me wrong, we’re really happy to play in Taranaki. It’s great for my players to see the country a little bit and it’s great for us to connect with our fans that are not only in Auckland, but this is not a home game,” Maor said.

“There’s a flight, there’s a hotel, there’s everything that goes with road games. So, this is definitely two road games and this is part of what being a Breaker is and something that we embrace and enjoy.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.