Arth Dela Cruz doubtful for Finals series due to groin injury

Brgy. Ginebra coach Tim Cone expressed concern after forward Arth dela Cruz suffered a groin injury and is listed as doubtful heading into the championship round of the 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup.

Aside from the injury-prone forward out of San Beda University, veterans Mark Caguioa, Joe Devance and Jared Dillinger are also facing health issues just days before the heavily-anticipated Finals Trilogy with Meralco which kicks off on Tuesday, January 7 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“A lot of it is going to be about health for us. Arth is not healthy and that hurts, Joe hasn’t been healthy and he is a big body that we can throw at Durham if he can get healthy,” said Cone.

“Mark Caguioa is not healthy and we are still waiting on Jared a little bit. We will see what Jared can do against his former team,” added the 62-year old American mentor.

During Friday’s practice, the team’s first in preparation for its best-of-seven series with the Bolts, Dela Cruz did not participate in the scrimmage and only had a light workout.

“He has a groin pull that was the same one he had earlier in the conference where he missed a month or two. We are hoping it’s not as bad. He is out in practice. He is doing therapy and weight training because he can’t do anything,” explained Cone.

“It’s a day-by-day thing. We are not going to say he is out of the series. We just don’t know when he is going to be back in terms of if it’s going to be three days, five days, Game Three, Game Five, we don’t know,” he added.