Thompson returned from his international duties at the recent AFC Asian Cup last week and resumed training with his Victory team-mates.

But a visit to the dentist on Thursday sidelined him ahead of the club’s first ever encounter against Wellington.

Victory coach Ernie Merrick revealed the surgery was planned upon Thompson’s return from Asia and the dynamic forward is expected to start the match alongside fellow striker Danny Allsopp.

“I think we have certainly missed Archie, but more than that, we play with two strikers up front and we’ve tried to partner Danny with a range of players and it hasn’t worked,” Merrick told the club's website.

Merrick also added that the recent links between Victory defender Adrian Leijer and English Premier League side Fulham would not affect the starting line-up.

The coach is instead preferring to focus on the opening rounds of the Hyundai A-League 2007/08 season.

“Despite the story, that doesn’t come into the figuring for the weekend," he said.

"What comes into the figuring for the weekend is whose available for the first three matches and the Under 23 boys aren’t going to be available for two of those three matches.

“They come back from Jordan two days before the game in New Zealand, so I’m thinking Adrian and Leigh Broxham won’t be available or 100% fit for that first game.

“They’ll probably be in the squad, but I can’t see them being in the starting XI and that’s why I probably wont start either of them this weekend, because we have to setup for our first game in the Hyundai A-League.”

The playoff match is Victory’s first 2007 Pre-Season Cup fixture in Melbourne, following Group A meetings against Adelaide United in Launceston, Newcastle Jets in Geelong and Perth Glory in Darwin over the past three weeks.

Wellington is travelling for the second time in its 2007 Pre-Season Cup campaign, which has seen the Hyundai A-League newcomers record a 3-0 win against Sydney FC to propel them to third place on the Group B ladder, behind Central Coast Mariners and Queensland Roar.