KEY POINTS:
Hopes that Allan Jones might jump off a plane from China this morning and give Auckland City a hand at Kiwitea St for the New Zealand Football Championship match against Team Wellington this afternoon have been dashed.
Jones, who has been in China as national women's coach for
their two-game tour, injured himself at training and is on crutches with an ankle injury. He is expected to go straight from the airport to hospital for further treatment.
With City and former coach Roger Wilkinson parting company this week, academy coaches Aaron McFarlane and Peter Martin will share sideline duties. They will welcome back striker Keryn Jordan and Japanese midfielder Teruo Iwamoto for one of the key matches of the round.
Team Wellington must break a hoodoo if they are to savour success. Insix previous meetings, Team Welling-ton have lost them all.
Without four key players through injury, the visitors face a battle. Unbeaten in their last five outings, Wellington have plenty going for them.
With the decisions surrounding the Auckland City appeal over their forfeited points and the OFC call on whether a second NZFC team will play in next year's Oceania Champions League still unknown, there is added uncertainty over weekend's matches.
City chairman Ivan Vuksich said yesterday that both parties had been going back and forth as the appeal process continued. He thought a decision would be made late last night at the earliest and before tomorrow's kickoff at the latest.
He added that there would be no hearing with the appeal committee considering only written evidence.
The games affected by that call, should the extra OFC spot be made available, are both to be played tomorrow.
Second-placed YoungHeart Manawatu are home to Canterbury United in what promises to be a tight affair with the southerners bent on kick-starting what has been a disappointing season.
Coach Danny Halligan has welcomed back All Whites striker Brent Fisher, who will play from the bench in Palmerston North.
Waitakere United coach Steve Cain has rung the changes for the trip to the Caledonian and the clash with Otago United. In what promises to be a straight swap, Rupesh Puna is set to join captain Danny Hay in central defence in place of the suspended George Suri. Allan Pearce has also been handed a start and will be keen to show something close to the form Cain has been looking for.
Otago, too, have rung the changes as Terry Phelan attempts to add a second victory over Waitakere in what has thus far been a pretty lopsided contest.
In today's other game, Hawkes Bay are at home to Waikato FC.