Newly capped Socceroo Bruno Fornaroli is facing a stint on the sidelines after returning from national team duties with an ankle injury.
The Uruguay-born veteran was a notable absentee from Perth's squad for Sunday's A-League Men's clash with Macarthur FC as the Glory slumped to a 4-2 loss to the Bulls despite having held an early two-goal lead at Campbelltown Stadium.
The loss means the bottom-of-the-ladder Glory are now winless in 10 matches and sweating on the fitness of their top scorer.
"When it rains it pours," interim head coach Ruben Zadkovich said.
"We send away our leading goalscorer, he comes back and he's now unavailable with an ankle injury.
"Those are the type of things that happen when you're down the bottom."
Fornaroli made his debut for Australia in the 2-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Japan before starting in last week's 1-0 loss to Saudi Arabia in Jeddah.
Having flown back to Sydney, the 34-year-old was expected to link up with his Glory teammates but instead carried on back to Perth where he'll undergo scans on his injury.
"I'm not sure the length of his injury," Zadkovich said.
"He'll get assessed and then we'll get the report back and see where he's at but he won't be available this week, that's for sure."
The Glory are already dealing with key absences such as captain Brandon O'Neill, star import Daniel Sturridge and veteran forward Andy Keogh.
With Nick Fitzgerald and Antonee Burke-Gilroy both missing the Macarthur game with hamstring issues, Zadkovich has had to turn to the club's youth.
The situation did at least produce two special moments with 22-year-old Girodano Colli scoring his first ALM goal with a free-kick after just 44 seconds before Trent Ostler got in on the act in the 18th minute.
Ostler, who was celebrating his 20th birthday, slammed home his first ALM goal to put the Glory 2-0 up on his first start for the Glory having debuted in the goalless draw against the Jets in midweek.
While the result wasn't what Ostler or the Glory had hoped, Zadkovich knows it will still be a special moment for a player who has already undergone two knee reconstructions in his fledgling career.
"That'll be a bittersweet night for him I'm sure," he said.
"I'm extremely proud of where he is considering what he's been through and where he's come from but again, we're starting the game away from with two boys on their starting debut.
"That speaks volumes to the situation in which we're in."
