A TUMULTUOUS pre-season punctuated by the shock sacking of coach Scott Miller just got worse for the Newcastle Jets with goalkeeper Ben Kennedy set to miss the entire A-League season after rupturing his Achilles tendon at training.

Kennedy will see a surgeon in Sydney early next week but he is unlikely to hear any good news after scans late Wednesday confirmed the worst for the 29-year-old keeper.

He faces surgery to repair the rupture and could be sidelined for up to nine months.

Kennedy had been battling with Australian Under 23’s keeper Jack Duncan for the number one status at the Jets during the pre-season and while Duncan was considered a slight favourite to get the nod for the season opener on Sunday against Adelaide after solid trial form, the decision for new coach Mark Jones was made for him by the injury.

The Jets registered Youth team keeper Pierce Clark on Thursday so he can sit on the bench for the Adelaide game but the club will turn their attention towards signing a more experienced keeper on an injury waver next week.

The shattering news could not have come at a worse time for Kennedy, who has been forced to bide his time behind former keeper Mark Birighitti at the Jets over the past few seasons.

Newcastle Jets goalkeeper Ben Kennedy has ruptured his Achilles tendon and looks set to miss the A-League season. Source: News Corp Australia

Kennedy played just one game last season and has featured only 27 times over the past four seasons.

It will almost certainly leave his A-League future under a cloud as he comes off contract with the Jets at the end of the season after joining the club in 2006-07 and making 114 appearances.