Juan Mata out indefinitely with fractured elbow

Medical checks carried out on Monday verified that Mata picked up a break in the opening half of Melbourne Victory's 1-0 defeat against Wellington Phoenix over the weekend.

The club has yet to set a recovery schedule for Mata, and talks are scheduled about the possibility of an operation.

"We are sorry to lose Juan to this injury, yet our main goal at Melbourne Victory is to help his rehabilitation by any means available," remarked head coach Arthur Diles in a concise club release on Tuesday afternoon.

"We are positive about his potential return to the side in the 2025/26 campaign."

Even if Mata cannot feature in Melbourne Victory's postseason run, due to start on the opening May weekend, the renowned Spaniard has likely already clinched the A-League's highly regarded Johnny Warren Medal as the season's standout player, boasting five goals and 13 assists across his 23 outings.

Out of those 18 goal involvements, 15 happened this year, which earned him the league's Player of the Month award for January and March.