KEY POINTS:
After the euphoria of hosting soccer superstar David Beckham's visit last weekend, Wellington Phonenix come back to earth with an A-League match against Perth on Friday.
"It's back to business," said coach Ricki Herbert on crutches after undergoing foot surgery yesterday.
"It's an interesting fixture against Perth and there's still a lot to play for.
"We've got six rounds to go and every match is important - we want to make it difficult for every team we play."
Herbert said judging from mid-week training today, there was no sign that the squad still had their heads in the clouds after hosting soccer celebrity Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy team which drew a record crowd of over 31,000 for a soccer match in Wellington.
"The tempo at which they trained, the desire and the intensity are all there," Herbert said.
With the exception of skipper Ross Aloisi, Herbert said he had a full squad to pick from for the bottom-of-the-table clash.
Aloisi is still affected by a back problem and is also carrying a leg injury which have left him doubtful for the Perth match.
Phoenix have not lost to Perth this season having beaten them 4-1 at home and 1-0 away and will be seeking to get back to winning ways after losing 1-2 to Adelaide last Friday.
However, Perth, for whom interim coach Dave Mitchell was confirmed in the position today, will be a different opponent after chalking up a 3-1 win over Melbourne last week - just their second win of the season.
Since taking over at the struggling side a month ago, Mitchell has guided them to two wins, a draw and one loss after going 18 games and almost a year without a win.
- NZPA
