The Wellington Phoenix has suffered a double injury blow 11 days out from the club's first Hyundai A-League game.
Midfielder Lucas Pantelis is on crutches after sustaining a knee injury in Sunday's loss to Central Coast Mariners in Tauranga, and striker Mirjan Pavlovic broke his left arm in the last
minutes of a training session at Newtown Park today.
Pavlovic was in obvious pain as an ambulance took him to Wellington Hospital where the break was confirmed.
Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert said the injuries were bad news such a short time out from the season's kick-off against Gold Coast United at Skilled Park on October 9.
"It is a big blow for the boy," Herbert said as he watched Pavlovic being helped into the ambulance. "He has been training well and was starting to look sharp.
"We don't know yet how long he will be out for but I would think it will be six to eight weeks.
"Lucas was also going well but the knee injury will keep him out for four to six weeks so it is a double blow."
