DUSTY Rychart's preparations for the Cairns Taipans' New Year's Eve NBL match against Melbourne are in disarray after he badly stubbed a toe while playing a video game.
Rychart was using a Wii game console in his apartment on Saturday night when the telephone rang.
The naturalised Australian rushed towards the phone, hoping it was a call from his parents in the United States.
But Rychart forgot that he had moved his coffee table to get more space to play the game and crashed into it.
"What can you do?’’ he said yesterday.
"The coffee table was in a different place and I ran out when I heard the phone and clipped the corner.
"It doesn’t feel too great.
"With the Wii, you’ve got to be pretty animated when you’re playing it so I’d made some space and when I got the call I forgot about the coffee table that I’d moved and bang, there you go.’’
Rychart missed yesterday’s Taipans training session and will have X-rays on his injured foot tomorrow.
Pictures: Cairns Taipans 2009-10
He hopes to return to training tomorrow and remains confident of playing against the Tigers at the Cairns Convention Centre on Thursday night.
"I can walk on it and put pressure on it (but) the toenail part will probably fall off in the next week,’’ he said. "I’m hoping it’s not broken, I’ve never had a broken foot or toe and have no idea about it but I’m assuming if it was broken I couldn’t put pressure on it.’’
Rychart said coach Aaron Fearne had taken news of how he received the injury well.
"He asked what I was doing and when I told him he kind of looked at me, laughed and shook his head," Rychart said.
"You can’t do anything about it now, it’s in the past.’’
The 197cm forward has been one of the Taipans’ most consistent performers this year, averaging 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per match.
The Taipans face a big week against a desperate Tigers team which beat Wollongong on Saturday night.
Thursday’s home clash is followed by a rematch in Melbourne on Saturday night.
The Taipans (8-11) are still within striking distance of the top four but must win at least one of this week’s matches to remain a realistic play-off contender.
