Premier Daniel Andrews could be off work for up to three months after injuring himself in a fall, with his deputy assuring Victorians he can fill his shoes.
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Doctors are yet to decide whether Mr Andrews will need surgery after he fractured the T7 vertebrae in the middle of his spine and broke several ribs in the accident.
Acting Premier James Merlino said he spoke to Mr Andrews by phone on Thursday morning.
"It was great to hear his voice," Mr Merlino told reporters.
"I look forward to his recovery and returning to the job, but at the moment his complete focus needs to be on his recovery."
Mr Merlino said he would continue to update Victorians on the premier's condition.
"Over the next few days we'll know more in terms of Dan's treatment plan and his recovery," he said.
A government source told AAP there remains a "50-50 chance" Mr Andrews will require surgery on his fractured vertebrae.
If an operation is deemed the best course of treatment, spinal surgeons estimate it could be six to 12 weeks before the premier is able to return to parliament.
Mr Merlino, who has been deputy premier since 2014, said he would fill the void for a longer period if required.
"We made a commitment back in 2014 when we first came into government to not waste a day," he said.
Mr Andrews slipped on wet stairs at a Mornington Peninsula holiday rental while getting ready for work on Tuesday morning.
He was initially treated at Peninsula Private Hospital, but transferred to Alfred Trauma Centre in Melbourne after specialists assessed an MRI scan.
Associate Professor Steve McGloughlin, the head of the intensive care unit at The Alfred hospital, said the premier was "comfortable and his pain is well-controlled".
"Mr Andrews has sustained some serious injuries and his condition is being monitored closely," Prof McGloughlin said late on Wednesday.
"At this stage there is no immediate plan for surgery."
Greg Etherington, a consultant spine surgeon at the Alfred who is not working on Mr Andrews' case, usually tells his patients to expect their recovery to take three months.
"If they want to argue in parliament, six to 12 weeks is probably reasonable," he told AAP.
"That timeframe is not unreasonable depending on what people want to do, how much pain they've got."
Surgery would involve inserting screws to ensure the spine doesn't collapse, with a back brace another option to stabilise the area as it heals.
"Most of the collapses occur within the first three or four weeks," Dr Etherington said.
"At the end of the first four weeks, you have a much better feel for what's going to happen. It sounds like that's what Mr Andrews is the midst of."
Royal Melbourne Hospital spinal surgeon John Cunningham said if the premier was his patient he would recommend he put his feet up for at least four weeks.
"Someone who is leading the state through a pandemic should probably not be making serious decisions whilst in pain and requiring what is probably quite heavy analgesia or pain relief," he told AAP.
"The sensible thing for him to do is take leave while he's in this acute state."
Dr Cunningham said Mr Andrews would likely find it difficult to stand for long periods but should be back to normal in six months if all goes well.
"Dan now has some rules of his own to follow," he said.
"Just like we followed lockdown, he's going to have to be a very compliant patient."
It comes as senior government minister Lisa Neville remains on a three-month leave of absence while she receives treatment for a chronic auto-immune disorder.
Australian Associated Press
