Socceroos coach Tony Popovic is confident he can find a solution to the latest setback in Australia’s World Cup qualification mission after midfielder Jackson Irvine was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his foot.
First-choice players have been dropping like flies since Popovic replaced Graham Arnold in the top job in September, robbing him of key options, including Harry Souttar, Jordan Bos and Hayden Matthews. None of them will be fit in time for the upcoming qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia, a window in which Australia’s place at the 2026 World Cup can be confirmed with a win or two draws.
Socceroos star and FC St Pauli captain Jackson Irvine is out for the rest of the season.Credit: Getty Images
Irvine is the latest to go down, having undergone surgery this week that has cut short a career-best campaign in the German Bundesliga with FC St Pauli, who are poised to defy relegation predictions and remain in the top division.
The 32-year-old had, until his injury, covered more kilometres than any other player in the Bundesliga, having made clear strides in his personal development this term – something he had partially attributed to Popovic’s demanding methods. He was one of Australia’s best players in their two wins over Indonesia and China last month – which has put them on the brink of direct qualification from Group C – but will now be sidelined until the early part of pre-season.
“It’s certainly a blow … but we have to find a solution,” Popovic said on Wednesday.
“There are solutions. Obviously we’ve got an eye on the A-League players that are playing, but we’ve got a lot of midfielders playing overseas at the moment, getting regular minutes, so we’re monitoring everyone, and there’s an opportunity for someone to come in.”
Jackson Irvine and Tony Popovic.Credit: AP
Irvine has started in all six of Popovic’s matches in charge and, bar one of them, completed the full 90 minutes. It will now be a case of going back to the drawing board to find the right midfield pairing with the correct chemistry, whose attributes can also complement other parts of the team and match what the Socceroos will need tactically for their upcoming fixtures.
The positive is that there are plenty of options. Former Central Coast Mariners teammates Max Balard and Nectarios Triantis are in terrific form at NAC Breda and Hibernian, and have both been called up by Popovic without seeing any minutes for the Socceroos. Meanwhile, regular starter Aiden O’Neill has just transferred from Standard Liege to New York City FC, and the emergence of Melbourne Victory’s Ryan Teague as a bonafide international, with a terrific debut performance in front of nearly 80,000 fans in Shanghai, adds further depth to the ranks.
“He has a real calm temperament; he doesn’t get phased by anything,” Popovic said of Teague, who he signed at Victory in 2023.
“I didn’t even need to, or want to, speak to him before the game. He knew he was playing the day before, and he just went out and executed and was confident to get on the ball, which helped us a lot to really silence the crowd in the first half. Him getting on the ball and controlling the tempo played a big part in that performance and result.
“[It was] his first time in with us, and he played, so the way I see it is someone else can come in now and do something that Ryan did: unexpected call-up, gets in, performs, and there’s an opportunity for him to continue growing and playing more games for the Socceroos.”
On the positive side, Italian-based centre-back Alessandro Circati has returned to full fitness just seven months after suffering an ACL injury. Yet to feature under Popovic for Australia, he has been named in three match-day squads for Parma in Italy’s Serie A in the past two weeks, but has not made it onto the field.
“The boy has already put his hand up that he wants to be involved, which is fantastic. He feels he’s ready, but we have to consider all factors before selecting him,” Popovic said.
Circati’s condition is to be further assessed at a 10-day training camp in Abu Dhabi in late May, being held to ensure European-based players continue to tick over as their club seasons finish in the coming weeks – and so the Socceroos’ medical staff can keep a closer eye on those like him, Middlesbrough’s Riley McGree, Portsmouth’s Kusini Yengi and others who have had disrupted seasons before a squad for the June window is unveiled.
A crucial player at the 2022 World Cup under Arnold, McGree has made just two starts this year due to a hamstring injury, and with the English Championship season concluding this weekend, his chances would be minimal were it not for the upcoming camp, Popovic said.
“He’s told us that he’s fit … we will give him an opportunity to show us what he can do, but if he’s not at the level required due to his fitness, we won’t select him,” he said.
A win on June 5 at Perth’s Optus Stadium against Japan, who have already qualified for the World Cup, will seal Australia’s spot at the tournament, and would mark the first time since 2017 the Socceroos have been able to celebrate that achievement on home soil.
Popovic’s side defied expectations in holding the Samurai Blue to a 1-1 draw in Saitama in October, but will need to improve with the ball to inflict Australia’s first defeat on them in 16 years.
“We know it’s a challenge. We have to embrace it. We’re excited by it,” Popovic said.
“We know we’re in a good position, but we’re playing the best team in Asia now. The challenge is, can we put on a better performance than we did in Japan? We had a great result. Can we play better? And that’s what I’d love to see happen, to show our growth since that match.”
