Emil Audero Injured, Indonesian National Team Faces Goalkeeping Crisis

COMO, SATURDAY — For the first time in the 2025-2026 Italian League, Emil Audero did not start the match as the main goalkeeper for Cremonese. A muscle injury was the reason the Indonesian national team goalkeeper could only watch his teammates draw 1-1 against Como at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium, Como, on Saturday (27/9/2025).

Emil was originally included in the lineup of 11 starting players for the fifth week match of Cremonese. The Cremonese coach included the goalkeeper, a graduate of the Juventus academy, to continue the unbeaten trend of his team in the Italian League.

However, Emil's ambition to play the fifth game while continuing the trend of not conceding in the previous two games was thwarted during the warm-up before the match. He experienced an issue with his leg muscle.

This situation robbed Emil of the opportunity to appear at Como's headquarters. His name merely graced the team's reserve list.

The test is expected to clarify precisely the extent of the injury and recovery period.

"Emil felt some muscle pain. The former Inter Milan goalkeeper was replaced by his understudy, Marco Silvestri, who was making his debut for Cremonese," La Gazzetta dello Sport reported.

Furthermore, the leading sports media based in Milan, Italy, stated that the player born in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, is set to undergo tests on Sunday (28/9/2025). "The tests are expected to clarify the exact level of injury and recovery time," the report continued.

In his professional career, Emil has never experienced a leg muscle injury. He has only been sidelined twice due to injuries, which included abdominal and shoulder injuries. These two types of injuries were sustained by Emil while playing for Sampdoria from mid-2021 to 2023.

Cremonese coach Davide Nicola did not specify the issues faced by Emil before the match against Como. He emphasized the collective role of his players in securing one point while remaining unbeaten.

"The boys gave their all. It's difficult to give everyone playing time, but I'm pleased that when they played, they gave their all," said Nicola after the match, as reported by Calcio Cremonese.

One point from the Como headquarters helps Cremonese secure the sixth position with a collection of nine points. Meanwhile, the "Grigiorossi" or "Gray Reds," as Cremonese is nicknamed, are a promoted team with an outstanding performance. They have surpassed the achievements of Sassuolo and Parma, which are outside the top ten zone.

Despite failing to maintain a clean sheet against Cremonese in the previous two weeks, Silvestri did not perform poorly. He made five saves to secure one point for his team.

"We played with high solidity. The task of defending is not solely the responsibility of the defenders, but all players participate in the team's defensive phase," said Silvestri, who is 34 years old, as reported on the club's website.

If Emil's absence can be adequately substituted by Silvestri, the same cannot be said for the Indonesian national team in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers this October. Emil's partner, who alternates in the goalkeeping position for the "Garuda" squad, Maarten Paes, has also already suffered an injury.

Due to a hamstring injury, Maarten has been sidelined and absent from Dallas FC since late July. He was also not included in the squad for the Indonesian national team's friendlies against Taiwan and Lebanon earlier this month.

Maarten is indeed one of the three goalkeepers called up by the Indonesian national team coach Patrick Kluivert to face Saudi Arabia and Iraq. However, Maarten's condition is far from ideal, considering his match fitness and optimal touch, as he has not participated in competitive games for over two months.

With two goalkeepers pursuing careers abroad experiencing physical challenges, the hope rests on the shoulders of Persebaya Surabaya goalkeeper Ernando Ari. His experience in the 2023 Asian Cup and the early rounds of the 2026 World Cup preliminaries will equip him to add to his reputation with the Garuda squad.

Without undermining Ernando's quality, the presence of Emil and Maarten will provide greater confidence and optimism for the ambition to secure a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. Moreover, Emil is currently in the best period of his career.

Before the collection of two clean sheet games in the Italian League, he also played two friendly matches wearing the Indonesia jersey without conceding. Emil has proven that his presence encourages Indonesian defenders to perform more calmly. Therefore, hopefully, Emil's muscle injury is not too severe.

It is possible that he will not play against Inter Milan next week. The hope is that Emil can still appear for the Indonesian national team in the two "final" matches leading to the world stage. (AFP)