Wellington Phoenix will be without Ufuk Talay for at least two A-League fixtures, after the club's head coach tested positive for COVID-19.
Talay, 46, has been ruled out of Saturday's clash against Perth Glory at Leichhardt Oval, and Wednesday's match against Brisbane Roar at Redcliffe.
Pending seven days' isolation, Talay could return to the Phoenix dugout as early as next Saturday when the team face Melbourne City, provided he is symptom-free.
The Phoenix are currently eighth on the A-League ladder after 15 matches played, sitting outside of the top six and playoff contention by three points.
However, the Kiwi side have three games in hand over sixth-placed Sydney FC, after their fixture list was dramatically affected by COVID-19 and weather disruption.
Assistant coach Giancarlo Italiano will take charge of the side for the two fixtures, and has been with the team since 2019, stepping up from a video analyst role to Talay's assistant in 2020.
