Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid from Liverpool at season’s end is a done deal, according to multiple reports from the United Kingdom and Spain.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
The defender has been tipped to trade Anfield for the Bernabeu on a free transfer at the end of his contract for some time, and it has been reported that the Spanish giants have secured the 26-year-old with a five-year offer worth more than £220,000 a week.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side view the England international as the long-term successor to 33-year-old Dani Carvajal, who is out with an ACL injury sustained in October, and he would join the likes of top English players David Beckham, Steve McManaman, who backed Alexander-Arnold to “be a superstar” in Madrid, Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate to represent Los Blancos.
Alexander-Arnold has been free to discuss terms with overseas clubs since January, and his impending move to Real would also reunite him with his friend and England teammate Jude Bellingham.
Real made an approach to Liverpool on New Year’s Eve to try sign Alexander-Arnold during the January transfer window, but the Premier League champions in waiting declined to cash the right-back in for reportedly around £20 million to boost their chances of a league crown.
That move was vindicated as Arne Slot’s side sits 12 points clear atop of the table with nine matches remaining, but will leave them without any profit on Alexander-Arnold as he can join Real for free like French superstar Kylian Mbappe did last year from PSG.
Alexander-Arnold is sidelined at present after injuring his ankle during the Reds’ Champions League exit at the hands of PSG and missing the League Cup final loss to Newcastle as a result.
He is tipped to return next month, in time for the crowning few weeks of the Premier League campaign and what is set to be a fitting farewell to his boyhood club.
Alexander-Arnold made his first team debut as an 18-year-old in 2016 after joining Liverpool’s academy as a six-year-old.
Many Reds fans on social media have been outraged however, calling for him to not be selected for the remainder of the season
Under esteemed manager Jurgen Kloop, Alexander-Arnold won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Club World Cup.
He is also one of three key Liverpool players out of contract at season’s end, with the futures of golden boot leader Mohamed Salah and star defender Virgil van Dijk still unclear.
Liverpool have declined to comment on the reports.
Iran became the second Asian side to secure their place at the 2026 World Cup after twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 with Uzbekistan in Tehran, handing organisers a likely diplomatic headache.
Iran, the second-highest ranked AFC side in the FIFA standings, needed only a point to join Japan in qualifying for the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iran will, however, head to North America with relations strained as US President Donald Trump takes a hard line over opening new nuclear talks with Tehran.
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
The Group A leaders were made to work hard at the Azadi Stadium by upward-trending Uzbekistan, with Mehdi Taremi scoring seven minutes from time – his second of the match – to seal the point.
“We have to thank the fans who filled the stadium today, and thank God they did not leave empty-handed,” said Iran captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh.
Seeking to qualify for a first World Cup, Uzbekistan opened the scoring on 16 minutes through Khojimat Erkinov, before Inter Milan striker Taremi scored his first of the night shortly after half time.
Parity lasted only one minute, with Abbosbek Fayzullaev restoring Uzbekistan’s lead.
Again, Taremi was the man to pull his team back into the game and ultimately book a spot in North America, when he finished past goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov late on.
Iran will be appearing at a fourth successive World Cup and seventh in all. Taremi expressed his “happiness” with the result but admitted his team had “tactical problems” after conceding twice.
Uzbekistan remain on course for an inaugural appearance at the finals. Sitting second on 17 points, they require a win from the concluding double-header in June either away to third-placed UAE or at home to Qatar, in fourth.
The UAE climbed to four points behind Uzbekistan following their 2-1 victory in injury time against North Korea in Riyadh, with Qatar three points further back after their 3-1 defeat to Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek.
The top two go straight to the World Cup, with teams finishing third and fourth in the three Asian groups entering a further round of qualifying.
Iran’s players celebrate after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group A football match between Iran and Uzbekistan, on March 25, 2025 in Tehran. (Photo by AFP)Source: AFPIran’s players celebrate after scoring during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group A football match between Iran and Uzbekistan, on March 25, 2025 in Tehran. (Photo by AFP)Source: AFP
Earlier on Tuesday, the Socceroos beat China 2-0 to boost their chances of automatic qualification, but Saudi Arabia stayed in touch in Group C with a goalless draw in Japan.
Australia’s victory, courtesy of first-half goals from Jackson Irvine and Nishan Velupillay, left the Socceroos second in Group C on 13 points with two to play, three points ahead of Saudi Arabia with a much better goal difference. Japan are already sure to finish top.
Australia host Japan and travel to Saudi Arabia for their final qualifiers in June, leaving the race for the second direct qualification place on a knife edge. China stay bottom on six points, but they can progress to a further qualifying stage by finishing third or fourth.
Indonesia moved into fourth on nine points thanks to a 1-0 win over Bahrain. Oxford United forward Ole Romeny scored his second goal in as many games to give Netherlands and Barcelona great Patrick Kluivert his first victory since becoming manager.
In Group B, Son Heung-min’s South Korea remain top and favourites to progress, but they put in another toothless performance as they were held at home for the second match in a row – this time 1-1 by Jordan.
Iraq could have gained ground but conceded late twice to lose 2-1 to Palestine in Amman.
One-nil down from the 34th minute, Palestine equalised two minutes from time before grabbing a winner in the 97th minute, for their first victory of the third round.
Iraq stay third and one point behind second-placed Jordan, who are three off the summit.
Leaders South Korea face a tricky trip to Basra in June before a final home clash against Kuwait.
Oman are fourth on 10 points following their 1-0 win against Kuwait in Ardhiyah, with Palestine fifth and Kuwait rooted to the bottom.
TEAMS QUALIFIED FOR THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP SO FAR
The Socceroos might’ve finished 5-1 winners against Indonesia in their crucial World Cup qualifier in Sydney and taken a giant step towards automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup in North America, but coach Tony Popovic made it clear there’s still plenty of room for his side to improve describing the performance as “solid but it wasn’t great.”
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
Goals to Martin Boyle, Nishan Velupillay, Lewis Miller and a double from Jackson Irvine send Australia to China with three vital points in the bag and full of confidence, but all too aware that its job half done when it comes to jumping the hurdles this international window presented.
The mental resilience the side showed to escape unscathed – albeit with some fortune – from a tricky 15-minute opening period is also a sign of growth as is a welcome surge in the way chances were finally converted into goals. This result bloats Australia’s goal difference column too and that could be one less thing to worry about come the final matchday of round three in June.
It wasn’t all good news though with Martin Boyle and Adam Taggart coming off at halftime. Popovic revealing post-game that both have fitness concerns.
OMINOUS SIGN BEFORE A BALL WAS KICKED
A crowd of 35,241 packed into the Sydney Football Stadium and the Indonesian fans not only made their presence felt but had the decibel reader reaching its upper limits.
The Indonesian national anthem was greeted with full voice by those in red and more than one Socceroos player turned to look at the raucous away end. It did not sound,
look or feel like a Socceroos home game until the goals started flying in.
Remarkably, the Team Garuda faithful were still chanting at 5-1 down in the second half.
“It’s part of football and it’s what we love about it, that teams can come away from home and bring that energy and atmosphere,” midfielder Jackson Irvine said.
“I thought our fans were equally brilliant and pushed us in the key moments of the game and gave us that extra leg up probably when we needed it.”
A TALE OF TWO PENALTIES
Perspective is in the eye of what colour jersey you were wearing.
The decision to award Indonesia a penalty in the seventh minute after the Brisbane Roar’s Rafael Struick was ruled to have been fouled by the recalled Kye Rowles was
contentious through an Australians lens, but while it was on the softer side it was the right call.
Kevin Diks dulled the debate by hitting the woodwork. A sprawling Mat Ryan guessed the right way in any case and might’ve saved it.
Indonesia coach Patrick Kluivert, in his first match in charge, believed his side struggled to shrug off that setback.
“If you shoot the penalty in it would be a totally different match of course,” Kluivert said.
“From that moment we changed something in our minds.
“We had a grip of the game. I think that we played better than Australia.
“If you score 1-0, I’m sure it will be a totally different game.”
10-minutes later Australia was sent to the spot after Nathan Tjoe-A-On pulled off a tackle on Lewis Miller in the box that looked more like something James Tedesco would execute on this ground in a Roosters jersey. Boyle did the honours from the spot.
The goal helped calm the nerves after the Socceroos were let off the hook just moments prior. The side looked far more settled from that point and Australia led 3-0 at the break thanks to two more goals from Velupillay and Irvine.
“It’s the hardest I’ve been pressed in a home game in a long time,” Irvine said.
“There was absolutely no time on the ball in the middle of the park.
“Once we broke that pressure it looked like we were going to score every time we went through.”
3-0! Socceroos dominant first half surge | 01:31
POPPA PULLS THE RIGHT SELECTION CALLS
This was not an easy squad to pick.
Six regular starters were missing through injury and Popovic had key calls to make when it came to his starting wingers and striker.
As Velupillay wheeled away to celebrate with the fans in the 20th minute he had fellow winger Martin Boyle and striker Adam Taggart to thank for the opportunity.
Boyle’s pass found Taggart whose lunging effort resulted in Velupillay being able to run onto the ball and calmly slot Australia’s second.
“It’s a special moment for the boy,” Popovic said.
“Starting your first game, pressure, a stadium that’s full. It doesn’t come bigger than that.
“When he looks back, he should be really proud of that.”
This was the first time Boyle had seen minutes under Popovic after failing to get on the pitch in the November window against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. 14-goals and 9
assists in 36 games for Hibernian in Scotland made a compelling case for selection.
Velupillay is working his way back into form after a nasty ankle injury suffered against Saudi Arabia in Melbourne. To start him in a game of this magnitude was bold. Taggart deserved his spot after five goals in his last 11-games for Perth Glory in the A-League but hadn’t even been picked in a squad by Popovic yet before this window.
For a goal that released the pressure valve in this campaign to be created by two players who’d never featured under this manager and scored by one still not quite at
top form domestically must be applauded.
Unfortunately, Taggart and Boyle were both substituted at half time with potential fitness issues. Taggart appeared to feel for his groin multiple times just before the break. Asked if there was anything amiss with both players Popovic said “there could be.”
“They both had a bit of a niggle, maybe Adam a little bit more than Martin Boyle.”
“Adam was definitely coming off and Martin was a bit of a precaution.”
IRVINE GOAL A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT
Jackson Irvine is the heartbeat of the Socceroos midfield. His goals in the 34th and 90th minutes were the 12th and 13th of his international career and came on the same
ground where he scored his first ever for Australia in 2017.
“From a personal point of view a special night,” he said.
“I never take it for granted being here and I haven’t played in this stadium since that night.”
THE RETURN OF DANIEL ARZANI
Arzani replaced Velupillay in the 72nd minute and was greeted by warm applause. It was his first appearance for Australia since a 26-minute spell in a World Cup qualifier
against Bangladesh in June last year.
His last minutes prior to that came against Kuwait in a friendly match in 2018. That was just before the anterior cruciate ligament tear on debut at Celtic that would change the trajectory of his then skyrocketing career.
It took just two minutes for Popovic to call Arzani to the sideline for a chat after his introduction, but generally he worked hard in defence and looked lively in attack.
All of this after Popovic told Arzani his effort in camp during the October international window last year “wasn’t good enough” and that his “level was really poor in
training.”
It appears to have been the wake-up call the 26-year-old – once dubbed the next big thing in Australian football – needed.
Five months on from that camp and Arzani has impressed his mentor this time around. Popovic does not give out easy minutes even with Australia 4-0 up at the time.
It was an impressive response from a player who can only enhance the fortunes of himself and his country with similar application.
Socceroos calm ahead of crucial clashes | 01:56
STATE OF THE PITCH
There’d been concerns about the state of the Sydney Football Stadium pitch in the days prior to kick-off and those fears weren’t alleviated once the game got underway.
Several players lost their footing or looked unsure on the ball. It was not ideal and hampered the fluidity of the game.
“Tough pitch for the players,” Popovic said.
“Very hard underneath and slippery on top. The players were in two minds. Half the players wore studs, and half the players had moulds. It was a difficult one for them tonight. It took a lot out of them.”
MAT RYAN BACK TO HIS BEST ON AN HISTORIC NIGHT
Lost in the euphoria of scoring five goals was the three incredible saves Mat Ryan pulled off between the sticks.
On a night where the goalkeeper became the third most capped player in Socceroos history with 97, moving ahead of another former skipper in Lucas Neill and now only
behind Mark Schwarzer with 109 and Tim Cahill on 108 appearances, Ryan was immense.
He stopped Jay Idzes’ header from a freekick in the 5th minute, made a superb diving save to his left in the 53rd minute and another clutch reflex save down low to his right
in the 84th minute.
“I have to say I’m not surprised after seeing him when he came into camp,” Popovic said.
“Just a different demeanour and that comes from playing.
“You can see he’s full of confidence and he showed that when he came in. He was a real presence around the group and tonight he stood tall.”
The fact the captain was dropped to the bench for the first three games of Popovic’s tenure now seems a distant memory. His move to Lens in France from Roma in Italy
has been a masterstroke.
Davidson hoping to re-ignite Roos career | 02:26
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AT THE BACK
Australia’s backline was hardest hit by the current run of injuries between November and March.
Popovic picked Lewis Miller, Jason Geria, Cameron Burgess, Kye Rowles and Aziz Behich.
Geria, Burgess and Rowles formed the central trio of that combination, and the coach made it clear there was plenty to work on. Indonesia’s goal was well taken, but the lead-up was scrappy.
“The goal they scored probably summarised how we defended,” Popovic said.
“They didn’t create, we gave them chances, we gave them the penalty, we gave them the goal as well.
“Defensively we weren’t great, we were a little bit on edge, a little bit sloppy in our defending.”
WHERE ARE THE SOCCEROOS AT WITH PROJECT POPPA AND WHAT’S NEXT?
Project Poppa is progressing, but it’s far from the finished article. That’s not a bad thing, but just the reality of only being in the job for six-months.
“I aim quite high,” Popovic said with a smile when asked how far along the side is when it comes to implementing his game style.
“They’re not where we want to be, but that’s not a negative that’s a positive. They’ve taken strides forward and it’s not easy to do what they did tonight.”
Popovic pointed to decision making as an area that needs work.
“How do we identify quicker what is happening on the field?” he said.
“That will happen with more games together.
“I felt that this camp or this window of the first game is the first time I’ve felt in training and just around the hotel that this group is now starting to build into something.”
Now, it’s off to China for their next qualifier on Tuesday night.
Australia remains second in group C and in control of its own fate when it comes to securing automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup.
From the minutiae, to next-gen stars not pulling their weight, Socceroos coach Tony Popovic and his team of assistants are poring over every detail of his tenure so far.
Watch an average of 3 games each week during the regular season, plus every game of the NFL Postseason including the Super Bowl, LIVE on ESPN with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >
Whether they have held too many meetings, or too few, and the length of the meetings. The content of training sessions and how messages are delivered during those sessions … they all form part of the discussions at Football Australia’s new headquarters in Sydney.
Popovic, who took charge of the side for the first time during the October window last year, has six points from four games in charge; which sees the Socceroos sitting in second place in Group C during the third round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America. Everyone involved knows staying there for four more games will deliver automatic qualification for football’s showpiece event. Yet failure to do so will force the side into the fourth and possibly fifth rounds of qualifying, where the path to the first ever 48-team World Cup gets slimmer and slimmer.
In two months, the wild ride to the biggest-ever edition of the tournament resumes. Indonesia, with newly installed coach Patrick Kluivert (yes, the Dutch legend) at the helm, travel to Sydney; where anything less than three points for the hosts will set alarm bells ringing.
It’s no wonder Popovic is looking into every crevasse to ensure nothing gets missed.
While discussing intricate details this week, Popovic also chose to address something a little larger.
Asked about one-time wonderkid Daniel Arzani and where he was at in his journey, the Socceroos boss lined up the Melbourne Victory winger like he did to opponents during his glittering playing career.
“I know Daniel well and he’s got potential,” Popovic started, while shifting in his seat.
“We talk about him with potential and I think we’ve been talking about that since he was 18.”
Tony Popovic on the sideline for Australian in Bahrain.Source: Getty Images
Arzani has carried the tag of “the next big thing” in Australian football since bursting onto the scene in 2018 with a flurry of dribbles, assists, goals and awards for Melbourne City in the A-League.
His dazzling feet, smart decision-making and ability to glide past defenders earned him a shock spot in Bert van Marwijk’s Socceroos squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he came on as a second-half substitute in group stage games against France, Demark and Peru in a side that exited the tournament with two defeats and a draw.
A transfer from Melbourne City to Manchester City followed straight after the tournament and he was loaned to Scottish giants Celtic after barely having time to unpack his bags. After a few false dawns since the era of the golden generation, it appeared Australian football had finally (no, really) found its next big thing; only for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on his Celtic debut to send the trajectory of Arzani’s career on another path.
Loan spells in the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium followed, before he landed back in the A-League with Macarthur after a four-year spell that felt more like a cyclone than sport.
A move to Melbourne Victory a year later, with Popovic then at the helm, saw Arzani rediscover some of his best form.
Now 26, the winger might feel singled out by what his former club boss, now in charge of the national side, shared next; though it’s nothing Popovic hasn’t told Arzani to his face, and really about something bigger than one player.
It is about the clamour for a player with Arzani’s skillset – and there have been several over the years – to be given every opportunity to shine even if they might not be ready. It’s about the desperation from fans to see the national side play a brand of football that you might find on a street in any city in Brazil. Adjacent to that noise is a coach who sees every minute of every game, training session and moment in between, with and without the ball. Instead of flashy social media clips, they form a fuller picture. Perspective is everything.
Daniel Arzani (2nd L) isn’t at the top of Tony Popovic’s selection list currently.Source: Getty Images
Arzani has seven Socceroos appearances to his name. Six of those came prior to his ACL tear in 2018. If not for that misfortune, he’d probably have many more caps on his resume, but good form with Victory saw him picked for the final window of the second round of qualifying in June last year. He’d miss selection for the first window of the third round in September – which turned out to be Graham Arnold’s last in charge before stepping away – but Popovic re-ignited the relationship in October.
What he saw left him underwhelmed and Arzani didn’t get on the field.
“When he doesn’t play everyone questions why he doesn’t play, but he needs to raise his level,” Popovic said bluntly.
“Doing one good dribble or doing one good trick or setting up one goal should not be enough to play for the Socceroos.”
From the outside, and with goals hard to come by during a difficult qualifying campaign, a player like Arzani would appear to be the perfect answer with dribbles, tricks and assists.
But Popovic chose to lay bare the other side of what you could call the ‘next big thing’ conundrum.
“It wasn’t good enough in October,” Popovic said referring to Arzani’s efforts away from the spotlight.
“His level was really poor in training. Now maybe for him it’s OK, but it’s not enough, so every player needs to raise their level.”
A similar weight of expectation fell on the young shoulders of striker Garang Kuol, now struggling to break through at Premier League side Newcastle United after transferring from the Central Coast Mariners, and another winger in Nestory Irankunda.
Popovic on the hunt for Aussie talent | 01:00
Without the monumental injury setback, Irankunda’s footballing story and that of Arzani’s isn’t too different.
A kid who bursts onto the scene with breathtaking skill in the A-League, followed by a call-up to the national team while still a teenager and then a move to a mega-club that seemed before its time.
German giants Bayern Munich came calling for 18-year-old Irankunda. The former Adelaide United star has been on the right and wrong ends of selection calls when it comes to the Socceroos as well, with first Arnold and then Popovic having to defend themselves in the court of public opinion for not picking a player on the books of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
In search of senior minutes, after being part of the youth team set-up at Bayern, Irankunda recently secured a loan move to Swiss Super League club Grasshoppers — but Popovic insists that might not be enough to earn a recall in March.
“Just playing a game because someone has got some minutes at Grasshoppers, for example, that can’t be enough,” Popovic said.
“They need to be at elite level at Grasshoppers, then they are elite for the Socceroos and then they can help us get in the top two.
“In our last two World Cups we went through the play-off system, but we keep expecting to make top two.
“That’s good, but if we expect to come in the top two then we must raise the level, we must raise the bar.
“Your expectation and my expectation should be higher because history shows we don’t do that often. We don’t go automatically to World Cups, but that is something we should aspire to. We shouldn’t shy away from that.”
Nestory Irankunda needs to be playing at a high level with his new loan club, Tony Popovic says.Source: Getty Images
Not picking very good players is an odd way, on the surface, to solve that problem, but Popovic clearly thinks betting the farm on human highlight reels isn’t the answer. The “expectation,” in his words, needs to be higher and only “elite” commitment to everything the coach sees as sacred is likely to be rewarded with regular minutes.
Popovic has spoken multiple times about his admiration for Japanese football, but also his desire for Australia to match and then overtake their regional rivals.
The gap to Japan, who lead Group C, is nine points. The Samurai Blue have won five of their six games in this phase to be on 16 points, which is the joint-highest total across the three groups with Iran. One more win from four remaining fixtures will ensure they seal automatic qualification. That is certainly something to be envious of.
Japan, from Popovic’s perspective, are the current standard bearers and he believes its possible for Australia to “raise the bar.”
In the coach’s eyes, Australian football should hold every player, even the absurdly talented ones, to the highest standard. If Popovic can find a way to marry that talent to his standards, then something special is truly possible.
Souttar suffered the injury in the final moments of Sheffield United’s 2-0 loss to Burnley in the Championship on Friday morning (AEDT).
The 26-year-old was sent for scans which confirmed the worst.
The incident occurred after Souttar took a heavy touch and lunged to clear the ball. It was immediately clear he was in discomfort and had to be helped off the pitch at Bramall Lane.
“He is absolutely gutted,” Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield after their 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Monday morning.
“Devastated for him, he loved it here.
“He has been a great player to work with; great personality, great character.
“Big disappointment to lose the big fella because he has been incredible.”
Sheffield United and Australia’s Harry Souttar.Source: Getty Images
It is the second serious injury setback for the towering centre back in three years. In November 2021, Souttar ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee during a World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia in Sydney.
Remarkably, he returned to action with former club Stoke City just before the World Cup in Qatar 12-months later, playing a starring role as the Socceroos stunned the world with a run to the round of sixteen.
“Thanks to everyone at Sheffield United,” Souttar said on his Instagram account.
“Amazing club with great people.
“Unfortunately, that’s me out for a while but I wish everyone at the club all the best for the rest of the season and beyond.
“Once a blade always a blade.”
This latest injury is a cruel blow. Souttar moved to Sheffield United on loan after struggling for game time at Premier League battlers Leicester City.
Wilder had placed significant trust in the 6-foot-7-inch centre-half, with Souttar starting 21 of Sheffield United’s 23 matches in the second-tier Championship before his injury.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia
His absence also creates a significant headache for Socceroos coach Tony Popovic.
With four crucial matches remaining in the third round of World Cup qualifying, the Socceroos currently sit second in Group C. Maintaining that position will secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The Socceroos face Indonesia in Sydney in March before an away game against China five days later. A clash with current group leaders Japanin Perth and a trip to face regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia awaits in June.
Popovic will now have to fill a Souttar sized hole in the heart of his defence for all those fixtures.
He’s also unable to call on 21-year-old centre back Alessandro Circati, who ruptured his ACL during a training session with Italian Serie A side Parma in late September.
It leaves Cameron Burgess, Kye Rowles and Hayden Matthews as the most likely options moving forward for Popovic.
Burgess is starting regularly for Ipswich Town in the Premier League while Rowles is doing the same with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.
However, both are left-footers and it remains to be seen how that could impact any potential partnership.
Kye Rowles celebrates scoring a goal against Lebanon with Jackson Irvine.Source: Getty Images
Matthews is right-footed and continues to grow in stature at Sydney FC.
The 20-year-old only signed his first professional contract earlier this year, but Popovic not only handed Matthews his Socceroos debut during the last international window in November but named him in the starting side in their last start 2-2 draw with Bahrain.
Souttar will be desperately hoping the Australians can navigate the next four fixtures and secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup.
Even a 12-month recovery should see him back on the park with six months to go before the tournament gets underway.
The defender has left Sheffield and headed back to Leicester to start rehabilitation.
He is contracted to the Foxes until the end of the 2028 season giving him time to rebuild his career once back to full fitness.
The English champions did snap a five-game losing streak but did little to boost confidence ahead of Sunday’s trip to Premier League leaders Liverpool by conceding three times in the final 15 minutes.
Pep Guardiola admitted his star-studded squad were “fragile” and lacking in confidence after the worst run of his managerial career, while a shock stat was exposed.
We lost a lot of games lately, we are fragile and of course, we need a victory,” he said to Prime Video.
“The game was good for the confidence, we were playing at a good level and then for the first time something happened, we have problems.”
Manchester City became the first team in the history of the Champions League to be leading by three goals as late as the 75th minute, before failing to win.
Two goals from Erling Haaland, either side of Ilkay Gundogan’s deflected effort, looked set to restore some order for City.
But the defensive frailties that have been the root cause for a staggering collapse in recent weeks was exposed in the closing stages.
Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Gimenez and David Hancko hit back to salvage a vital point for the Dutch giants.
A draw leaves City with plenty of work to do to reach the knockout stages with trips to Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain to come in their next two Champions League games.
Only the top eight progress directly to the last 16 with a place in the top 24 of the 36-team table enough to reach the playoff round.
City drop to 15th on eight points from five matches, just one point ahead of Feyenoord in 20th.
Guardiola reacted to a first home defeat for two years in a 4-0 humbling by Tottenham on Saturday by making three changes.
Jack Grealish, Matheus Nunes and Nathan Ake came into the starting line-up but it still took City time to find their rhythm.
Nerves around a far from full Etihad Stadium were frayed when Igor Paixao wasted a big chance to give the Dutch giants the lead.
Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Manchester City and Feyenoord at City of Manchester Stadium on November 26, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Instead, City got the break they needed when Haaland was fouled inside the box from a corner.
The Norwegian missed from the penalty spot in City’s 4-1 thrashing by Sporting Lisbon last time out in the Champions League.
This time Haaland was clinical and smashed the ball into the net in relieving his frustrations of recent weeks.
Gundogan’s volley from the edge of the box that deflected in off Hancko gave City breathing space early in the second half.
Haaland then slid in to meet Nunes’ cross for his 46th Champions League goal in 44 appearances in the competition to seemingly put City on easy street.
But there was a sting in the tail for the home side after Josko Gvardiol’s slack backpass allowed Moussa in to round Ederson and fire in from a narrow angle.
Guardiola held his head in his hands in response and worse was to come when Ederson failed to deal with Jordan Lotomba’s near-post effort and the ball fell kindly for Gimenez to make it 3-2.
More kamikaze defending gifted Feyenoord an equaliser as Rico Lewis played Paixao onside. He eased around the onrushing Ederson and crossed for Hancko to head into an unguarded net.
City have now conceded two or more goals in six consecutive games for the first time since 1963.
There was still time for more drama as Grealish’s shot came back off the crossbar in City’s search for a late winner.
Instead they had to settle for a point that will feel just as damaging as the previous five defeats for a side so used to winning.
ARSENAL’S RUTHLESS ROUT
Arsenal extended their revival with a ruthless 5-1 rout of Sporting Lisbon to bolster their bid to reach the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta’s side ended a three-match winless run in all competitions by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League last weekend.
And the Gunners built on that success with an even more dynamic display at the Jose Alvalade stadium.
Gabriel Martinelli gave Arsenal an early lead and Kai Havertz increased their advantage before Gabriel Magalhaes struck just before halftime.
Goncalo Inacio got one back for Sporting, but Bukayo Saka’s penalty underlined the gulf in class between the teams.
Leandro Trossard netted late on to give Arsenal five away goals in a Champions League game for the first time since 2008.
Arsenal’s third win in five Champions League matches this season lifted them into seventh place, with the top eight teams in the revamped tournament earning automatic qualification for the last 16.
Sporting’s first defeat in Europe’s elite club competition this season leaves them below Arsenal on goal difference.
Arsenal are nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after their dip, but this swaggering effort suggested they are finally back in the groove.
Arteta had challenged Arsenal to make a statement against Sporting and they responded in emphatic fashion.
The north Londoners’ first away win in the Champions League in six attempts was a welcome tonic after a 1-0 loss at Inter Milan in their last European fixture.
Arsenal’s impressive performance was all the more notable as Sporting had crushed Manchester City 4-1 in their final Champions League game under Ruben Amorim, who has since taken charge of Manchester United.
Joao Pereira has replaced Amorim as Sporting boss but he was unable to maintain their unbeaten start to the season as the Portuguese champions were defeated for the first time in 19 games in all competitions.
Thomas Partey of Arsenal celebrates victory with teammate Bukayo Saka after the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Arsenal FC at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 26, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
It took just seven minutes for Martinelli to put Arsenal ahead. Jurrien Timber’s low cross was perfectly weighted and the Brazilian slid in to apply the finish inside the six-yard box.
In stark contrast to City’s capitulation at Sporting earlier in November, Arteta’s men were in complete command.
They picked the Sporting defence apart again in the 22nd minute as Thomas Partey’s incisive pass picked out Saka’s run beyond the hosts’ creaky off-side trap.
Saka guided a pinpoint pass into the Sporting area and Havertz timed his run immaculately to slot home from close range.
Sporting finally forced a save from David Raya when 17-year-old Geovany Quenda unleashed a fierce strike that the Arsenal keeper tipped over.
But Gabriel bagged his first Champions League goal on the stroke of halftime. Arsenal’s set-piece prowess was on show as the Brazilian defender rose highest to power his header past Franco Israel from Declan Rice’s inswinging corner.
Gabriel marked the goal with a cheeky celebration as he mimicked the eye-covering gesture used by Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres when he scores.
That inflammatory gesture briefly woke Sporting from their slumber and Inacio reduced the deficit two minutes after halftime.
Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori went to sleep at a corner and Inacio took advantage to volley past Raya from close range.
Sporting needed another goal quickly to put Arsenal under genuine pressure, but instead it was the visitors who struck again in the 65th minute.
Ousmane Diomande’s lunge tripped Martin Odegaard in the area and Saka drilled his penalty into the corner of the net.
Trossard put the seal on Arsenal’s demolition job in the 82nd minute, nodding home after Israel spilt Mikel Merino’s shot.
BAYERN BEST 10-MAN PSG
A first-half header from Kim Min-jae guided Bayern Munich to a 1-0 home win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, damaging the French side’s hopes of progressing in the Champions League.
The centre-back scored after an error from PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov, starting ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma, who spilt the ball into Kim’s path.
The South Korean’s effort was enough to decide the rematch of the 2020 Champions League final — won by Bayern by the same scoreline — and all but extinguishes PSG’s hopes of a top-eight finish and avoiding the playoff round.
Ousmane Dembele picked up a second yellow for an unnecessary challenge with half an hour remaining, with Bayern successfully shutting up shop as a result.
“It was an extremely intense game,” Leon Goretzka said to Amazon Prime. “You could see in the starting XI they were going to try and hold onto the ball and to test us with their pressing — and we pushed to the end and it’s nice we could be rewarded.” With just three games remaining, even making the knockouts is not a given for the French champions, who are in 26th spot — two outside the playoff placings.
PSG host Manchester City in January along with facing tricky away trips to Red Bull Salzburg and Stuttgart.
Bayern’s top-eight hopes look rosier after the win, which extended their run of clean sheets to seven straight games in all competitions.
Bayern now sit 11th and take on relative European minnows Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava in their remaining games.
Both sides came into the game unbeaten and six points clear in their domestic leagues but in dire need of points in Europe.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender #05 Marquinhos (L) and Paris Saint-Germain’s Portuguese midfielder #87 Joao Neves react after losing the UEFA Champions League, League phase – Matchday 5, football match between FC Bayern Munich Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Munich, southern Germany, on November 26, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)Source: AFP
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany opted for the speed of Leroy Sane over the creativity of France winger Michael Olise up front.
PSG boss Luis Enrique made five changes to his side but most notable was his decision to stick with goalkeeper Safonov, rather than Donnarumma, who had played all but one Champions League game this season.
Luis Enrique defended his call before the game, telling reporters: “I make my choices based on what I see on the pitch and what’s best for the team.” The decision appeared to pay off early, with Safonov responsible for good saves from Jamal Musiala and Sane inside the opening 12 minutes.
Kingsley Coman, the PSG academy product who scored the only goal in the 2020 final, almost broke the deadlock shortly afterwards, dribbling through five defenders and blasting just wide.
After PSG had a few opportunities of their own, including Joao Neves’ long-range effort whistling past the goalpost on 33 minutes, the Russian goalkeeper made a mistake which led directly to the opener.
Joshua Kimmich swung in a corner on the 38-minute mark which Safonov spilt. And Kim took advantage to power a header into the net for the first Champions League goal of his career.
Bayern were happy to let the game come to them in the second half but Dembele’s second yellow — his first had come for dissent — took the steam out of PSG’s hopes of a comeback.
Tillies already eyeing Asian Cup | 00:54
BARCELONA HIT BREST FOR THREE
Robert Lewandowski scored his 100th Champions League goal as Barcelona beat Brest 3-0 to climb provisionally second in the Champions League group standings on Tuesday.
The veteran striker slotted home from the spot in the 10th minute to fire the Catalans ahead and reach his milestone, adding a second late on after Dani Olmo’s goal to inflict the French side’s first defeat.
After dropping points in their last two outings in La Liga, coach Hansi Flick had urged his players to “eliminate” mistakes in their game and Barca produced a solid display.
They got off the mark quickly when Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot clumsily clattered into the back of Lewandowski after the forward controlled Pedri’s cross on his chest.
The striker dusted himself down and dispatched the penalty clinically to open the scoring after 10 minutes and bring up his century.
It made Lewandowski only the third player to reach that milestone in the competition, behind former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, on 129, and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 140.
Under Flick, the forward’s form has improved significantly this season, reaching 22 goals in 19 appearances between La Liga and the Champions League.
The 36-year-old has made 125 Champions League appearances with Barcelona and before that German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
“I am very happy, many years ago I did not think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League,” Lewandowski told Movistar.
“For me the most important thing is that we try to win every game, if I can score, then that’s the perfect solution.
“I don’t know how many games we have left before the end of the year but we have to win them all and rest over Christmas.” Barcelona were still without teenage star Lamine Yamal, recovering from an ankle problem, but Raphinha was busy on the right and the Catalans dominated proceedings.
They did not create many clear chances though until Fermin Lopez forced a fine save from Bizot with a diving header.
The Dutch goalkeeper made amends for his earlier mistake by denying the Spaniard with his leg.
Pedri and Gavi of FC Barcelona smile following the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between FC Barcelona and Stade Brestois 29 at Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys on November 26, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Lopez again came close early in the second half when Lewandowski put him in with a neat flick but Bizot was alert to save his low effort.
Playmaker Olmo had an effort scrambled off the line by Brendan Chardonnet as Barcelona sought to put the game to bed.
The former RB Leipzig midfielder eventually grabbed the second in the 66th minute when he received Gerard Martin’s pass in the box, showing some nifty footwork to dodge Chardonnet and beat Bizot at the near post.
Brest thumped RB Salzburg 4-0 and had dropped just two points from their first four matches despite sitting in mid-table in Ligue 1, but were brought down to earth at the Olympic Stadium.
Mathias Pereira Lage drilled home to momentarily delight nearly 3,000 travelling supporters but their joy was curtailed when the linesman raised his flag for off-side.
Barca substitute Pablo Torre should have netted Barcelona’s third when he intercepted a pass with just the goalkeeper to beat, but fired wide.
Instead the job fell to Lewandowski and he rolled home his 101st Champions League goal with aplomb, beyond Bizot’s outstretched arm.
Brest fall a few places down the table but their strong start to the campaign means they are well placed to secure at least a playoff spot, while Barcelona are aiming to reach the last 16 directly.
Flick’s side travel to last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund next, before visiting Benfica and hosting Atalanta.
A stoppage-time equaliser from Kusini Yengi has saved the Socceroos from complete disaster in Riffa against Bahrain.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
Socceroos score in 38 seconds! | 00:29
Leading 1-0 deep into the second-half, the Australians conceded twice in the space of two minutes through a brace from Bahrain substitute Mahdi Abduljabbar before Yengi’s second goal of the contest ensured the FIFA World Cup qualifier finished in a 2-2 draw.
The point moved the Socceroos into second spot, nine points behind Group C leaders Japan, in the third-round of AFC World Cup qualifiers.
However, second place, which brings with it automatic qualification to the 2026 World remains well and truly up for grabs, with four teams – Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China – only one point behind Australia.
While the draw was better than nothing, the Socceroos should have put the game to bed before Bahrain’s second-half fightback.
The visitors made a dream start, going ahead inside the first minute through Yengi,
Called into the starting side at the expense of veteran marksman Mitch Duke, Yengi pounced on a weak back pass from Bahrain defender Sayed Baqer before rounding goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla and guiding the ball into the back of the net.
Australia’s forward #9 Kusini Yengi shoots to score his team’s first goal past Bahrain’s goalkeeper #22 Ebrahim Lutfalla during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group C football match between Bahrain and Australia at Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa on November 19, 2024. (Photo by Mazen Mahdi / AFP)Source: AFP
Yengi should have doubled Australia’s lead in the 24th minute after being fed by midfielder Riley McGree but he was foiled by Lutfalla.
Chances continued to fall Yengi’s way, with the woodwork denying the Portsmouth striker on the hour mark,
A poor first-touch soon after proved costly for Yengi when he had another good opportunity to increase Australia’s lead.
Concerns grow for Socceroos after escape | 04:44
Bahrain then had a chance to equaliser in the 64th-minute but Ebrahim Al-Khatal’s goal-bound shot was well blocked by Socceroos defender Cameron Burgess.
However, the Bahrainis found an equaliser in the 75th minute through a spectacular 40-metre effort from Abduljabbar.
The midfielder pounced on defender Burgess’ clumsy attempt to control a long ball with a speculative strike that caught recalled goalkeeper Mat Ryan off his line as it sailed into the back of the net.
Kusini Yengi slides the ball past Bahrain goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla to give Australia the lead. Picture: Christopher Pike/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Worse to follow in the 77th minute when Abduljabbar netted from close range after a cross from Mahdi Al-Humaidan was deflected on to the post by debutant Socceroos defender Hayden Matthews.
Abduljabbar was first to the rebound, with his second of the contest putting Australia on the brink of disaster.
However, Yengi’s late goal from close range ensured the points were shared.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic made six changes to the side that started in last Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia in Melbourne
Captain and goalkeeper Ryan started for the first time since September’s departure of former coach Graham Arnold, replacing Joe Gauci, who had been the Socceroos’ gloveman in the first three games of Tony Popovic’s reign as national boss.
Sydney FC’s 20-year-old defender Matthews was given his Socceroos debut, coming into the side for Melbourne Victory’s Jason Geria.
Matthews’ Sydney teammate Anthony Caceres, who made his maiden national team appearance off the bench last week, also started, being preferred to Belgium-based midfielder Aiden O’Neill.
Melbourne City skipper Aziz Behich was another of the squad’s A-League brigade given a start, with former City left-back Jordy Bos dropping back to the bench.
Further forward, Craig Goodwin returned from suspension to displace Ajdin Hrustic from the starting side, while Portsmouth attacker Yengi was given the nod at the expense of Duke.
Well, that was surprising. Tony Popovic’s 26-player squad to face Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in two crucial World Cup qualifiers over the next fortnight has dismantled the status quo.
The family, as the squad and environment were so often described under former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, has been broken up and, in its place, sits an eclectic mix of new faces and ones that seemed to be surplus to requirements.
Others, meanwhile, are completely missing through their own choosing; as is the case with Cardiff City midfielder Alex Robertson, or have been excluded, where they were previously part of the furniture.
Popovic, after taking on the role just weeks before the last international window in October, said he wanted to ensure that nobody felt they had a right to a Socceroos jersey. With this squad he has done just that and perhaps the biggest story surrounds three players who won’t feature in Melbourne and Bahrain this month.
Atletico steal victory with last kick | 00:33
THE MISSING PLAYERS
Alex Robertson
When Alex Robertson made his debut for Australia in a friendly against Ecuador in March last year, it seemed like the next 100-cap Socceroo had been discovered.
The midfielder, who is now on the books of Championship side Cardiff City, is one of those players blessed with both tactical and technical skill in abundance and it appeared as though the battle for his allegiance was won.
After all, with his father Mark and grandfather, also named Alexander, in the stands in Sydney that night, he became a third-generation Socceroo.
Mark represented Australia in 2001 and Alexander in the mid 1980s.
But Robertson is also eligible to represent Scotland, England and Peru through birth, residence and family.
After playing his junior football in Sydney, Robertson made the move to the UK as a teenager and represented England at youth level.
The 21-year-old hasn’t featured for Australia since a 2-nil friendly defeat to Argentina in Beijing in June last year and whether he adds to his two caps is now up in the air.
Last month, Robertson’s absence from the squad for games against China and Japan was explained as a paperwork issue with FIFA that hadn’t been resolved yet.
Now, it seems, Football Australia has done everything it can to resolve the matter.
“That sits in his hands now,” Popovic said after unveiling his squad in Melbourne.
“If he wants to play for the Socceroos, he needs to make himself available.
“It’s an Alex decision on what he wants to do.
“If he wants to make himself available for the Socceroos then we can look at whether we select him, but at the moment we don’t have that option.
“You have to respect the shirt, the badge; you have to respect the honour of playing for the Socceroos and we also have to respect the fact that everyone can make their own choice.
“Right now, his decision is not to make himself available.”
It’s a measure of Robertson’s immense talent that Popovic went on to say that the door hasn’t been closed because of this latest development, but fans who have long called for his inclusion in green and gold, at least now have some clarity on the matter.
Gunners suffer first loss in UCL | 01:21
Nestory Irankunda
The other big name missing from the squad list was that of Nestory Irankunda.
The 18-year-old, who swapped Adelaide United for Bayern Munich in the off-season, has made a positive start to his time at the German powerhouse.
The winger has been scoring for both Bayern II in the Regionalliga and also in the UEFA Youth League, but his output at international level has been mixed.
He looked lively and dangerous in the last fixtures of the Graham Arnold era, but struggled in his first match under Popovic, when handed a starting role against China in Adelaide last month and then didn’t feature against Japan.
Nestory Irankunda of Australia controls the ball during the round three 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC Asian Qualifier match between Australia Socceroos and Bahrain at Robina Stadium on September 05, 2024 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Popovic’s system, where the wingers play a more inverted role, doesn’t seem to suit the teenager. He’s more comfortable wider on the right, and so far, that is at odds with Popovic’s preferred tactical set-up.
“It’s just a selection decision,” Popovic said.
“We know he’s a young man with a lot of potential, who is signed at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“We just feel it is an opportunity for him to settle in at Bayern and get the development that he needs there and the growth.
“We still hope that we really see this potential moving forward from him in the national team in years to come.”
Stunning brain fade ends Villa’s streak | 01:03
Keanu Baccus
It won’t be a major headline, but the decision not to call-up Keanu Baccus is still notable.
The combative, deeper lying midfielder, was a mainstay under Arnold, who shot to prominence at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 while locked in a fierce battle with Argentina’s Lionel Messi in a heart stopping round of 16 defeat in Doha.
Under Popovic, Baccus has only seen 10-minutes of action, and that was in a largely unfamiliar right-back role against Japan, in the 1-1 draw in Saitama.
The new coach has plenty of options in central midfield too in the form of Jackson Irvine, Aiden O’Neill, Max Balard, Anthony Caceres and Patrick Yazbek.
New United boss plays down City win | 01:16
THE NEW PLAYERS
Anthony Caceres
Anthony Caceres has often been referred to as the best player never to represent Australia at any level.
Now 32, it appeared the chance of the Sydney FC midfielder shedding that tag was slim, but the door has finally opened.
Caceres seems perfectly suited to Popovic’s system where those further forward are required to be comfortable and make good decisions in extremely tight spaces.
In fact, he’s done just that his whole career.
There was a school of thought over the years that while Caceres was technically gifted, he lacked a killer edge in the final third.
But with three goals, 10 assists and 13 goal involvements to his name last season, those concerns have been allayed, if Popovic ever had them at all.
“He’s been a player that I’ve admired for a very long time,” said Popovic.
“He deserves his chance.
“Every coach has their ideas and this is his chance now.
Max Balard
It’s perhaps the ultimate compliment, that after moving from the Central Coast Mariners to Dutch Eredivisie side NAC Breda this season, the local media in the Netherlands quickly dubbed the 23-year-old the ‘Australian Kante.’
It’s a nod to former Leicester City and Chelsea star N’Golo Kante, now playing for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, who is one of the finest ball-winning midfielders of his generation.
Balard missed selection for last month’s window, but should now get the chance to shine, after proving to Australia’s new coaching staff that he can be just as damaging with his range of passing as well.
“He’s had some very good performances this year,” Popovic said.
“We’ve been monitoring him prior to the last camp, but I think in the last month, his game has become more consistent; more balanced in his play, with and without the ball.”
Hayden Matthews
The 20-year-old Sydney FC central defender only signed his first professional contract in January this year and has now earned his maiden international call-up.
At 195 centimetres, he is a towering figure, and although on the surface, it looks like Matthews has been included to get some experience in an extended 26-player squad, it’s interesting that he’s on the radar of the national team boss so early in his career.
Keanu Baccus did not find himself in Popovic’s squad. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
THE RETURNING PLAYERS
Rhyan Grant
The last time Rhyan Grant featured for the Socceroos was in a third round World Cup qualifying defeat to Japan in Sydney in 2022.
The tireless right-back has seen a long list of players cycle through that position in an Australian shirt since then, but never in his wildest dreams did the Sydney FC captain think he’d be considered again.
“I honestly didn’t see this coming, but I’m absolutely delighted,” Grant said.
The 33-year-old, who has 21-caps to his name, thought his time had passed, and stressed that point whenever the topic of a recall to international football surfaced, but could well be the answer to the problematic position again.
Brandon Borrello
The search for a striker who can score on a consistent basis is just as puzzling as the absence of an established right back.
Brandon Borrello will fight for minutes alongside Mitch Duke and Kusini Yengi.
The Western Sydney Wanderers quarter-final exit at the hands of Adelaide United in the Australia Cup left the forward short of minutes for the October window, but with 266-minutes and two goals from three games under his belt in the A-League this season, he’s moved back up the pecking order.
Milos Degenek
Few people are more passionate about the Socceroos jersey than Milos Degenek.
In an extraordinary interview at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 he offered an insight into the mentality he takes into games.
“The lion mentality is, you either eat or you get eaten, and that’s the simplest way to put it,” Degenek said at the time.
“I used this term before the Peru game with the boys, I said ‘there’s bread on the table’.
“Either we eat tonight; my kids, my wife and my family eats tonight, or they eat and my kids go home to sleep hungry and my wife as well – and I don’t want that to happen.”
Degenek has missed most of 2024 due to injury but is back on the park and played in FK Crvena zvezda’s first round Serbian Cup game just over a week ago.
The 30-year-old, who can play as a central defender or right-back, adds versatility to the squad and even if he doesn’t feature on the field, he’ll be a force for good around the squad.
Few people are more passionate about the Socceroos jersey than Milos Degenek. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Martin Boyle
Martin Boyle looked out of sorts in the September window as the Socceroos stumbled against Bahrain and Indonesia in, what turned out to be, the final days of the Arnold era.
He didn’t feature in Popovic’s first squad, but his form for Hibernian, in Scotland, has been hard to ignore.
The 31-year-old has five goals and five assists to his name this season and could potentially be deployed as an inverted winger or striker.
His experience will also help the side deal with the scale of the challenge in-front of them.
A victory over Saudi Arabia next week will go some way towards rectifying the Socceroos dire start to the third round of qualifying.
Australia is currently second in group C but locked on five points with their next opponents, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
A top two finish in the group earns automatic qualification for the next World Cup in 2026, so the stakes around every fixture from here are high.
Squad: Max Balard, Aziz Behich, Brandon Borrello, Jordy Bos, Martin Boyle, Cameron Burgess, Anthony Caceres, Milos Degenek, Mitch Duke, Joe Gauci (GK), Jason Geria, Craig Goodwin, Rhyan Grant, Ajdin Hrustic, Jackson Irvine, Paul Izzo (GK), Hayden Matthews, Riley McGree, Lewis Miller, Aiden O’Neill, Kye Rowles, Mat Ryan (GK), Harry Souttar, Nishan Velupillay, Patrick Yazbek, Kusini Yengi.
Massimo Luongo is in doubt for the Socceroos’ crucial World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan after missing Ipswich’s latest premier league match against West Ham due to injury.
Sources in the UK told Fox Sports Australia, Luongo’s absence was most likely due to fitness rather than form. It comes just days after ending his retirement from international football.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
FC St. Pauli midfielder Connor Metcalfe could also be unavailable. He failed a fitness test and was ruled out of their 3-0 defeat to Mainz in the Bundesliga.
Metcalfe has been a mainstay in the Socceroos midfield during this qualifying campaign.
Football Australia wouldn’t comment when contacted.
Luongo picked up an injury soon after being named in Tony Popovic’s first squad in charge of the national side; a squad that was only revealed on Friday.
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna revealed in the build up to their match against West Ham that he had several injury concerns on his hands, but didn’t name the players specifically.
“We’ve got a few other little issues that we’re monitoring at the moment, but in general we have good availability,” McKenna said.
Palace question non-penalty on VVD | 00:37
Luongo’s name was then missing from Ipswich’s team sheet. The nature and severity of the injury is still unknown.
The 32-year-old retired from international football in January this year, right before the Asian Cup.
At the time, the midfielder was intent on pouring his energy into Ipswich’s push for promotion to the Premier League and earning a new contract with the club.
With both of those goals achieved, Luongo backflipped on his decision to end his time as a Socceroo last week.
His absence would be a sizeable blow. Australia sits fifth in a six team group after two-games of the third round of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In what turned out to be Graham Arnold’s last two matches in charge of the Socceroos, they failed to score in a defeat to Bahrain on the Gold Coast and a draw with Indonesia in Jakarta, and the side is crying out for Luongo’s creative spark.
The top two-teams in the group will seal automatic qualification for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Further opportunities to qualify will be available in the fourth and fifth rounds if required.
EPL Wrap: Liverpool remain on top! | 02:14
The Sydney born playmaker is the only Socceroo currently getting minutes in England’s top-flight. He started Ipswich’s first two-games of the season against Liverpool and Manchester City, but only got six-minutes in the following four-games, with the arrival of England international Kalvin Phillips, on loan from Manchester City, limiting his opportunities.
Socceroos defender Cameron Burgess also plays for Ipswich, but has only featured once on the pitch for McKenna this season, and that was in a second-round League Cup defeat to AFC Wimbledon on penalties.
Players will start arriving in camp in Adelaide in waves, right up until Wednesday morning; just a day before the game against China.
Luongo could be forced to watch on from England and hope for better luck ahead of two more big qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in November.
Tony Popovic will pick his first squad as Socceroos manager this week after being thrown headfirst into the complicated world of international football management.
The former Socceroos defender, unveiled as national team boss last week, has built an impressive resume as a head coach over the last 12-years, but is unlikely to have encountered a situation before where the weight of expectation is so high, and the preparation time to meet that moment is so short.
Come kick-off in their next World Cup qualifier, against China in Adelaide on October 10, Popovic would’ve been in charge of the Socceroos for just 17 days. But in that period, he’ll only get one or two training sessions with the players, at most, before his first match at the helm starts.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!
The 51-year-old seems at peace with that prospect; he’s had little choice but to embrace the chaos of the last fortnight.
Popovic decided to move his family to Croatia, after not renewing his contract with Melbourne Victory at the end of the last A-League men’s season.
He also admitted he’d only watched the Socceroos last two qualifiers, against Bahrain and Indonesia, just days before walking into Football Australia’s headquarters in Sydney.
Now, the fate of that side rests in his hands.
The Socceroos don’t do World Cup qualifying campaigns devoid of tension; so in a way, the situation Popovic has walked into has almost become an expected mode of operating when it comes to booking a spot at football’s showpiece event.
Long-term, as investment in national team programs across Asia outpaces what Football Australia is currently capable of, continually finding a way to jump out of the fire is unsustainable.
That might be Popovic’s problem in the future if he does manage to turn things around.
In the short term, however, these are the four biggest issues facing the new boss ahead of this looming international window.
Popovic confirmed as new Socceroos coach | 02:27
HOW QUICKLY CAN POPOVIC GET HIS MESSAGE ACROSS?
Popovic is a self-confessed, meticulous planner with training sessions delivered in great detail, but how much he can convey to his new players in such a short amount of time is one of the biggest unknowns ahead of the clash with China.
A lack of time on the training pitch was the part of the job that former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold found the most challenging – even six-years into his tenure.
Players don’t arrive in camp until completing commitments with their club sides around the world.
It means the full squad isn’t likely to assemble in Adelaide until 48 hours prior to kick-off against China.
That would be less consequential at the start of a qualifying campaign. During the third phase, and with automatic qualification spots up for grabs, it becomes a huge factor.
It leaves Popovic with one or two sessions, at most, to get his message – a new message for the players – across.
How quickly that message not only sinks in, but turns into performance on the pitch, will be crucial.
Popovic has promised Socceroos fans, unhappy with the style of play under his predecessor, a change.
“There are obviously some areas there that I believe we can improve,” Popovic said at his unveiling last week.
“We can be a little bit more dynamic, we can move the ball quicker, we can get more players in the box.”
Translating that onto the pitch, with limited preparation time, against an opponent they’ll be expected to beat, is the first hurdle for Popovic to jump.
Tony Popovic, the newly-appointed head coach for Australia’s national football team. Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFPSource: AFP
WHERE IS THE CREATIVE SPARK?
Arnold named an abundance of wingers in his squad to face Bahrain and Indonesia at the expense of more creative players in behind the strikers.
The plan was to dominate one-on-one situations out wide before delivering a decisive ball into the box.
It made the side one-dimensional in a 1-nil defeat to Bahrain on the Gold Coast, but tactical tweaks were evident against Indonesia just five-days later with largely the same personnel.
The Socceroos were incredibly unlucky not to come away from Jakarta with more than a draw but, largely, the responsibility for creating chances during those two fixtures fell to the wide-men.
The conundrum when it comes to the Socceroos is that they often play better against higher ranked opponents than their usual foes in Asia.
At a World Cup, Australia enters matches as the underdog, and higher ranked teams aren’t shy when it comes to attacking.
The Socceroos’ game-plan at the last World Cup in Qatar, for example, was built around an ability to soak up pressure and then rapidly counter-attack opponents who had left space in behind.
In Asia, that isn’t the case for most matches during the qualifying phase. Australia is one of the powerhouses of the region, and as a result, expected to be the aggressor against teams who prefer to sit back with men behind the ball.
Breaking down opponents, who defend in large numbers in and around their own box, is the next step in Australia’s progression as a national side.
A different type of player; one who can pull the strings in-behind the strikers and unlock defences with clever passes is needed, to compliment the pace out wide.
Tony Popovic. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images for Football AustraliaSource: Getty Images
Three players, all of whom missed selection for the last international window, currently fit that profile: Cardiff City’s Alexander Robertson, Salernitana’s Ajdin Hrustic and Middlesbrough’s Riley McGree.
Hrustic spent part of last season on loan at Heracles in the Eredivisie, before sealing a permanent move from Serie A outfit Hellas Verona to Serie B side Salernitana in the off-season.
Riley McGree suffered a foot injury against Lebanon in Sydney in March that required surgery, ruling him out for the rest of Middlesbrough’s campaign in the second-tier Championship in the UK.
A knock picked up in pre-season halted his comeback, but he got 76-minutes under his belt in a 2-0 win over Stoke at the weekend.
Under Arnold, McGree has mainly been used on the left of a front three, but like Hrustic, possesses the required tactical nous to play in a more central role.
Arnold preferred to let 21-year-old Robertson settle into life at Cardiff, who also play in the Championship, after a move from Manchester City.
The decision was understandable. The young Aussie was sent on-loan several times while at City, eventually landing at Portsmouth in 2023, as they secured promotion from League One. After establishing himself as a regular starter at Pompey, he suffered a season-ending hamstring tear at training in January.
A round-trip from the UK, that included stops on the Gold Coast and Jakarta wouldn’t have been ideal for a player who is trying to establish himself after a nomadic existence at club level. But he hasn’t been seen in green and gold since the Socceroos’ friendly against Argentina in Beijing in June of 2023, and with the stakes this high, the national side is in desperate need of a player with his unique abilities.
Tony Popovic speaks to media. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images for Football AustraliaSource: Getty Images
WHERE DO THE GOALS COME FROM?
The Socceroos stormed through the second round of qualifying, scoring 22 times without conceding, but the goals have dried up in the third round.
They failed to score against Bahrain and Indonesia and finding the back of the net was made even harder, after striker Kusini Yengi was sent off against Bahrain, meaning he missed the game in Jakarta through suspension.
He has one-game of that red card ban left to serve and is also battling a groin injury, so his participation in the October window, where he’d only be available for the showdown against Japan, is in doubt.
It’s a huge setback. Yengi has scored four goals in nine international appearances so far and looks the man most likely to lead the line for the Socceroos moving forward.
In his absence, Arnold turned to 33-year-old Mitch Duke and 18-year-old Nestory Irankunda, who is on the books of German giants Bayern Munich, against Indonesia.
Popovic has options, but none that have shown themselves to be prolific. Aside from Mathew Leckie, who has struggled with injury since the World Cup in 2022, Duke has the most goals of any current Socceroo. But his return of 12 goals from 42 appearances sees him hit the back of the net every 195 minutes on average.
Former Melbourne City striker Jamie Maclaren is the next best with 11 goals from 31 games.
The A-League Men all-time top scorer departed for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan Super Giant in July, and is yet to open his account for his new club after two substitute appearances from their three games.
Maclaren was also left out of the Socceroos Asian Cup squad earlier this year by Arnold, and contemplated international retirement as a result. While a re-call would be a risk on current form, the 31-year-old is a proven goal scorer.
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos is also an option after playing the last two games for Motherwell in Scotland. The former Newcastle Jet missed the last set of internationals after injuring his quad against Rangers in mid-August.
Denmark based John Iredale has been used sporadically this year as well.
Popovic set to be NEW Socceroos coach | 00:54
CAN HE MAKE UP FOR MISSED EASY POINTS?
It was put to Popovic at his first press conference, that perhaps there were easier times to take over as Socceroos coach.
He met that query with: “Why wouldn’t it be a good time?”
The Aussies sit fifth in a six team group after two games, and although there’s eight games remaining in this phase of qualifying, four of those fixtures are against group heavyweights Japan and Saudi Arabia.
A chance for bankable points against Bahrain and Indonesia also went begging, but as Popovic would go on to say “that’s football.”
While that’s true, it hardly makes the road ahead smooth sailing – especially when a top-two finish in the group will seal automatic qualification for the next World Cup in two years’ time.
The Socceroos were ticking along like a marathoner comfortably churning out the kilometres until the most recent window. Now, the pack has kicked and increased the pace as they head for the finish line.
Popovic will need to get his side back-up to speed quickly, or another wild ride; filled with play-off jeopardy potentially awaits.
