It is not long now before the Socceroos take the pitch in Adelaide so you know what that means – it is time for injuries to the guys that made it, frantic call-ups and last ditch pushes to get into the starting XI come March 24.
Matthew Spiranovic – Hangzhou Greentown [Injury]
The Socceroos defensive stocks for their upcoming fixture list took a hit when the 27-year-old picked up a calf injury during club duty in China. He missed the game against Shijianzhuang Ever Bright at the weekend and Ange Postecoglu decided to leave him in China to get himself right. His absence was noticed as the team went down 1-0 to a first-half goal. From a Socceroos perspective, the quality in this area is quite deep for this game and the more than capable Alex Wilkinson will step into the squad for the upcoming fixtures.
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Jackson Irvine – Ross County [Scottish Cup Champions]
What better way to get over missing out on the national team selection than to win a domestic title for your club? It was not easy, however, his Ross County side managed to get up 2-1 over Hibernian in Hampden Park on Sunday evening thanks to a 90th minute goal from Alex Schalk. Irvine had a hand in the game’s opener, setting up Michael Gardyne in the first-half.
Mat Ryan – Valencia [Europa League Appearance]
Ryan got a start in the relatively important Europa League tie against Athletic Club Bilbao and justified his inclusion with a spectacular performance away from home. While his Valencia side went down 1-0, Ryan made a series of important saves to keep the tie in a salvageable position. Things have been rough at the Mestalla Stadium as of late, with manager Gary Neville seemingly in over his head as the side is struggling for results. He missed the 1-0 defeat at the weekend as Diego Alves was in goal, however, all Ryan can do is play well when given the opportunity and the return leg may just give him another chance to start.
Matthew Leckie – FC Ingolstadt [Scored]
Somebody is going to have to score the goals for the Socceroos in the upcoming fixtures and Leckie is an option after finally breaking his goal drought in the Bundesliga. He scored in his side’s 3-3 draw with Stuttgart at the weekend, his first goal since August 29 when he managed to get the winner over Augsburg. A favourite of Postecoglu since he took over, Leckie is going to be a key figure in the upcoming matches.
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