The Wellington Phoenix have confirmed today that centre back Luke DeVere has been ruled out of the squad with a knee injury.

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We wish Luke all the best with his surgery and ongoing recovery and hope to see him back on the field again later this season.

31-year-old DeVere sustained the injury during the Wellington Phoenix versus Central Coast Mariners match on 14 Feb 2021 and is due for surgery today, with the expected time frame for recovery between 10-12 weeks.

This is DeVere’s second season with the club, having played 30 matches in total for the Phoenix – all starts – during his time at Wellington.

Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay says that the club will fully support DeVere during this recovery, and will continue to rely on his defensive leadership from the side lines.

“Luke is an important part of our team, not just for what he brings on the field but for his voice and mentoring of the younger players – and we expect the latter to continue even while he recovers from his injury.

We wish Luke all the best with his surgery and ongoing recovery and hope to see him back on the field again later this season.”