Football: Argentine Flores to be cut by Mariners
Flores, 28, suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier this year.
SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian A-League champions Central Coast Mariners said Saturday they would not be re-signing their Argentine attacking midfielder Marcos Flores for next season.
Flores, 28, who was the A-League s player of the 2010-11 season when he was with Adelaide United, suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier this year.
The Mariners said Flores had been told he would not be retained by Central Coast when his current contract expires at the end of May to give him the chance to negotiate with other clubs.
"Marcos is an extremely popular member of our dressing room and is a favourite with the fans and everyone involved with the club," Mariners coach Phil Moss said.
"However when Marcos sustained his injury we needed to bring in quality reinforcements in his area of the pitch, and we now have a number of players in our squad who can play in the attacking midfield role.
"So I need to balance to the squad by signing and or retaining players in other positions, and unfortunately with a squad size of 23 and a salary cap I have had to make the difficult decision not to re-sign Marcos beyond this season."
Flores will continue his rehabilitation and training with the Mariners until his contract ends with the club, the Mariners said.
