Polish forward Oskar Zawada may be sidelined for the rest of the men’s A-League season, meaning he may have played his last game for the Wellington Phoenix.
Zawada, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has suffered another setback in his efforts to recover from a thigh injury.
He was the club’s leading goalscorer last season, and is expected to attract contract offers once he is off contract.
Head coach Giancarlo Italiano told a media briefing: “Unfortunately, they’ve done another scan and found the original contusion against Newcastle in round seven, there was a bit of a growth in that contusion
“At the moment, we’re trying to manage it.
“It’s a little bit more serious than we anticipated, but we’re hoping to see in the next week or two whether he can continue this year, but at the moment, I’d probably have him ruled out for the rest of the season.”
‘I’m planning without him’
With the Phoenix sure to play in the finals stage of the competition, there’s a chance Zawada could be fit in time.
“It depends on the next two weeks. If he can, basically, get functionality where he copped the knock, he might be back on his feet for the semi-finals, but we’re really unsure at the moment and I’m planning without him.
“Best case scenario is, in a week or two, we could find he has no pain in that contusion. If that’s the case, he should be right to have some minutes at some stage, but then the question is, can he play 90 minutes?
“It’s great if he can come off the bench, but to get 90 minutes will be a stretch, because we’re running out of games to get him conditioned.”
Watch Giancarlo Italiano’s interview
Fixture
Game to be played on Sunday March 31, 2024
Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar
Sky Stadium, Wellington, 1pm
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