As most leagues around the world approach the final international break for 2015, the Socceroos are preparing for two more World Cup qualifiers.
With one eye on those games, we take a look at some players that will be hoping to feature in Canberra on Thursday night.
Mile Jedinak – Crystal Palace [DID NOT PLAY: NOT IN SQUAD]
Not featuring in Crystal Palace’s 2-1 upset over Liverpool comes as another setback for the Socceroos skipper. Since returning from injury, he has featured sparingly for his club side, playing 90 minutes just once in a 5-1 thumping at the hands of Manchester City in the Capital One Cup. It will be a gamble for Ange Postecoglu to throw him back into the mix for the home game when the team will be expected to attack and hold possession.
Massimo Luongo – QPR [DID NOT PLAY: UNUSED SUB] and Bailey Wright – Preston North End [PLAYED]
In a scoreless draw against Preston North End, Luongo spent the entire game watching from the bench while Bailey Wright helped his side to a clean sheet. His absence should not be taken as a major cause for concern as he still is a regular feature for the London side. Wright, on the other hand, has continued to impress for a side that is looking to solidify itself in the Championship.
Tommy Oar – Ipswich Town [DID NOT PLAY: UNUSED SUB]
With their Australian winger on the bench, Ipswich cruised to an entertaining 5-2 victory over Rotherham United. Englishman Brett Pitman played ahead of Oar and opened the scoring, suggesting that he may have a battle on his hands to become a regular feature on the team.
Jason Davidson – Huddersfield Town [PLAYED]
Some positive news for Australians based in England as Davidson played a full game in the Championship against Leeds. Of course, he was part of a defensive unit that conceded three goals but that is just a minor detail. With Postecoglu still unsettled on his full-backs, Davidson needs to be playing first and foremost and he is doing just that.
Tomi Juric – Roda JC [RED CARD]
After a very successful October where he was scoring freely in the Eredivise, Juric was dismissed after just over an hour in his side’s 1-1 draw with ADO Den Haag. It was Juric’s first career red card and came from a behind the play scuffle with an opponent. When shown the card, he appeared rather perplexed. However, replays suggest there was a subtle lashing out after being collected from behind. As it was a straight red, he will likely miss some time for his club but will be on the bench for the Socceroos.
Tom Rogic – Celtic FC [GOAL]
To end this week’s whip-around of Europe, we look at Tom Rogic who opened the scoring with a fantastic goal in Celtic’s 4-1 win over Ross County. A description would be nice but instead, just watch the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAE70xwzRZY
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