Wellington Phoenix striker Paul Ifill is in doubt for the important clash with Central Coast Mariners on Sunday.

The English import has a hamstring problem stemming from the 1-1 draw with North Queensland Fury last round and may not come up for the match against the high-flying Mariners at Westpac Stadium.

The Phoenix are in desperate need of a win as they currently sit in second-bottom position and need three points to keep in touch with the top four.

If Ifill misses, it will cause a huge vacancy in Ricki Herbert's attacking stocks.