BAD NEWS: Lucas Pantelis will not play for the Phoenix this year after his recovery from a ruptured ACL and cartilage tears was delayed by an infection.

Wellington Phoenix's key off-season signing Lucas Pantelis is out for the entire A-League football season through injury.

It was initially thought he may miss just four to six weeks after sustaining a left knee injury in the Phoenix's pre-season friendly loss to Central Coast Mariners in Tauranga last week, but an MRI scan has revealed an ACL rupture, along with tears to the cartilage and meniscal.

Phoenix physiotherapist Wayne Roberts said the injury would rule Pantelis out for the whole season.

''We are waiting for a date to be set for surgery and expect that to happen in the next two weeks.''

Pantelis, who joined the Phoenix from Adelaide United during pre-season, is still coming to terms with what has happened.

''It is a big blow,'' Pantelis said.

''Not only to me personally but being new to the club you somehow feel you are letting your teammates down.

''The hardest thing with a long-term injury is accepting what has happened, and I admit I still haven't done that.

''I think my mindset will change once I've had the operation because I will have something to aim at.

''At the moment I'm still gutted but once I can rehabilitate I will be aiming to come back better and stronger next season.''

The news is a major blow for the Phoenix.

Pantelis, a left-sided midfielder with plenty of speed, shaped as a key attacking player this season after essentially replacing last year's young hot shot Marco Rojas, who signed with Melbourne Victory.

His injury should mean more minutes for Brazilian-Kiwi Daniel, while much of the Phoenix's attack now hinges on strikers Paul Ifill and Chris Greenacre, and Spanish attacking midfielder Dani Sanchez.

The Phoenix were already without the services of striker Mirjan Pavlovic, who is out for up to eight weeks with a broken