Boyle raring to go and declared fit following injury scare

Tim Gibson 1700458207,1700463017

Subway Socceroos winger Martin Boyle missed Australia’s clash with Bangladesh last Thursday night, but he says he’s raring to go for the side’s match against Palestine on Wednesday morning.

Boyle recently recovered from an ACL injury that kept him out of Australia’s Qatar 2022 World Cup campaign, missing out on another major tournament for the team.

He returned to the pitch earlier than predicted and earned his place in the Socceroos team for their friendly draw with Mexico, where he found the net from the penalty spot.

Despite the seriousness of the injury, Boyle has been a regular feature for Hibernian this season.

However, he picked up a knock against Aberdeen in the Scottish League Cup recently that left physios worried again.

Boyle felt his knee seizing up and experiencing some swelling, leaving the medical team wanting to rescan the forward.

This was the first time Boyle had had any trouble with his knee since playing again, but he said after analysis, everyone was happy.


He’s had a reduced schedule since then, staying on the bench for Hibs 2-2 draw with St Mirren before getting a full game in against Kilmarnock ahead of the international break.

As a precaution, Boyle was left out of Australia’s 7-0 victory over Bangladesh, which he says was disappointing given plenty of goals were on offer.

“You’ve got to take the medical advice on some of these things,” he said.

“I wanted to be there. Arnie [Graham Arnold] knows I wanted to be there.

“I want to play every game - selfish as it is.

“They made a plan that was best suited for me, and I accepted that. Thankfully, I’ve managed to travel to this [Palestine] game, and it’s always an honour for me.”

Boyle has had a tough run with injuries for the Socceroos, missing out on several major tournaments with the team due to badly-timed injuries.

It’s something he’s aware of, and is eager not to miss out on another with the Asian Cup coming up next year.

“The Asian Cup last time was a nightmare for me, so hopefully, third time lucky with major tournaments.

“The Asian Cup is massive this year and we want to do really well.

“I’m not getting any younger - I’m aware of this, but hopefully, with the injury setbacks I’ve had, I can prolong my career a couple more years.”

Boyle also commented on the performances of club teammate Lewis Miller, who played his first full game for the Socceroos on Thursday night at right back.

With Boyle also operating off the right at times, it could be the start of a deadly partnership down the wing for Australia.

“I love Lewis,” he said.

“I thought he was brilliant [on Thursday night].

“I try to help him as much as I can. I told him when I saw him this morning that he should have had seven assists instead of one!

“But he’s a fantastic player. He’s got all the attributes when you look at him, and he’s still a young boy.

“Hopefully, he can keep progressing.”

Australia have travelled to Kuwait to face Palestine in their second 2026 World Cup qualifier, looking to continue their perfect start to the competition.

Despite a big win last time out, Boyle says the team are preparing for a difficult game.

“We’re expecting a tough game as we always do,” he said.

“We’ll do the video analysis now the group is all together. We’ll identify their weaknesses and hopefully, we can break them down as best as possible.

“We want to win the game.” 

FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™️  SECOND ROUND ASIAN QUALIFIERS:

Palestine v Subway Socceroos
Tuesday, 21 November
Jaber Al-Ahmed International Stadium, Kuwait
Kick-off: 5.00pm (local) / 1am AEDT (Wednesday, 22 November)
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+