To see today's recovery session...

On a night when Melbourne lost Billy Celeski to a potentially season-ending knee injury, believed to be his medial ligament, the fallout from the 1-1 draw against Newcastle could be even more dramatic after Allsopp was left out of the squad for the clash with what was initially reported as a hamstring injury.

Merrick confirmed after the match that Allsopp had been struggling with a bruise on his hamstring, but then said that he was unavailable for selection and 'needed a rest'.

"Danny's had knock behind the thigh. It's a haematoma, it's not a tear. He was unavailable for selection," he said.

It was the manner which Merrick referred to Allsopp being 'unavailable' which hinted that it wasn't necessarily the injury which kept him out.

"We don't discuss the transfers and contracts of players. Danny wasn't here today, because I gave him a break, because he couldn't play, he needed a rest," he said. "I gave him the weekend off."

Merrick said it was unfair to suggest that Allsopp had let the club down and that he expected him back for the match against Wellington on Sunday week.

"Isn't it funny how quickly people jump on them when they get the chance?" he said. "Danny should be back in the side next week."

However at Victory's recovery training session at Melbourne's Station, Alllsopp joined his team-mates as they took a chilly dip, despite Merrick assertion that he'd been given the weekend off and was injured.

The news on Celeski is shattering for both player and club, with the midfielder landing awkwardly in just the third minute and writhing in pain.

"It's pretty tough to lose a player of that sort of quality," Merrick said of Celeski - a key figure in last year's championship-winning season.

"In fact it's been very hard to get out the 11 we have been working on for 17 weeks of pre-season training and we still had five of our first team out (against Newcastle) and now it looks like the season is over for Billy Celeski."

To see today's recovery session...