Caretaker Adam Griffiths is set to be formally unveiled as Perth Glory's full-time coach in the coming days, and his first port of call will be to address the club's growing casualty ward.
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Griffiths' three-match winning run in charge of Glory came to an end on Saturday night in a hard-fought 1-0 loss to ladder leaders Sydney in Perth.
Glory dominated the second half and were unlucky not to come away with at least a draw in what was yet another brave performance under Griffiths.
A week earlier, the team overcame a 40th-minute red card to seal a gritty 1-0 win over Western Sydney.
Griffiths has been in charge since David Zdrilic was sacked following the 4-0 loss to Melbourne City in round two.
In the space of six matches, Griffiths has transformed the back-to-back wooden spooners from easy beats to legitimate finals contender.
His comical 'goats and lion' analogy earlier this month when talking about his thirst for the top job sent the A-League world into a spin and won over the hearts of fans.
Griffiths had a jovial chat with owner Ross Pelligra and vice-chairman Jason Bontempo about 25 minutes before kick-off against Sydney, and his appointment as full-time coach will be made formal in the coming days.
But Griffiths will be missing a host of his best players when he leads the team in Saturday night's clash with Adelaide in Perth.
Captain Adam Taggart will undergo scans after limping off with a groin injury in the 40th minute against Sydney.
Fellow striker Jaiden Kucharski went off in the 50th minute with what appeared to be a hamstring niggle.
Rising star Sebastian Despotovski missed the match with a calf injury, and he has already been ruled out against Adelaide as the club assesses the injury further.
Taggart, Kucharski and Despotovski have been crucial in the team's resurgence, and their injuries come on top of the ongoing absence of Lachie Wales (hamstring) and Luke Amos (knee).
Wales hasn't played since November 23 and no timeline has been set for his return.
"He's getting another scan this week, so we'll know with a little bit more clarity on his situation. Hopefully it's not too long," Griffiths said.
Amos, who made an instant impact upon joining the club last February, is yet to play a game this season due to a knee injury, but he has now been cleared to return to full training.
Goalkeeper Cameron Cook re-injured his knee and faces even more time on the sidelines, with Griffiths confirming it's a medial ligament issue rather than a dreaded ACL.
Former Western United goalkeeper Matt Sutton has shone in the injury-enforced absences of Cook and Mark Birighitti (knee).
Sutton's original three-month injury cover deal will expire in January, but his hot form means Glory are expected to do everything within their power to keep him.
Australian Associated Press
