Midfielder Aaron Mooy will miss the Subway Socceroos' “Welcome Home” matches against Ecuador due to injury.
The 32-year-old was ruled out of Celtic FC’s fixture over the weekend with back soreness, and upon consultation with the senior national team’s medical staff, the decision was made for Mooy to continue his recovery in Scotland.
Coming into the 26-man squad is defender Ryan Strain, who also plays in the Scottish Premier League for St Mirren FC.
Upon confirming this change, Subway Socceroos’ Head Coach Graham Arnold said: “It’s unfortunate for Aaron that he misses these games, something I know he was very much looking forward to playing, but his absence provides an opportunity to a further emerging player as we start this new campaign.
“After speaking with Aaron, who missed this weekend’s game, he would only be able to play limited minutes if he came to Australia, so the decision was made for him to stay in Scotland and continue his recovery,” explained Arnold.
Mooy’s withdrawal has presented an opportunity for Ryan Strain, who made his debut for the Subway Socceroos against the New Zealand All-Whites at Eden Park, Auckland on 25 September 2022.
“Ryan has been playing well for St Mirren and deserves this call-up,” said Arnold.
“These matches against strong opposition in Ecuador presents us with the opportunity to commence preparations for the next World Cup cycle, which starts again in November, followed by the AFC Asian Cup in early 2024.
“Building depth in the squad is important as we look to build upon what the team achieved at the World Cup in Qatar, and I’m excited by the blend of experience and youth that we’ve assembled for these two matches.
“This camp will also expose these new players to how an international window works, with limited training sessions and preparation time, which will hold them in good stead moving forward,” concluded Arnold.
SUBWAY SOCCEROOS SQUAD – WELCOME HOME VS ECUADOR – MARCH 2023
|
Name |
Current Club, Country |
‘A’ Caps (Goals) |
Junior Club |
|
Nathaniel ATKINSON |
Heart of Midlothian FC, Scotland |
6 (0) |
Riverside Olympic FC / Football Tasmania |
|
Keanu BACCUS |
St Mirren FC, Scotland |
5 (0) |
Parklea FC / Football New South Wales |
|
Aziz BEHICH |
Dundee United FC, Scotland |
57 (2) |
Meadow Park SC / Football Victoria |
|
Brandon BORRELLO |
Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia |
4 (0) |
Modbury Jets SC / Football South Australia |
|
Jordan BOS |
Melbourne City FC, Australia |
0 |
Hoppers Crossing SC / Football Victoria |
|
Jason CUMMINGS |
Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia |
2 (1) |
Lothian Thistle Hutchinson Vale FC (Scotland) |
|
Milos DEGENEK |
Columbus Crew, USA |
42 (1) |
Blacktown City FC / Football New South Wales |
|
Thomas DENG |
Albirex Niigata, Japan |
2 (0) |
Adelaide Blue Eagles / Football South Australia |
|
Cameron DEVLIN |
Heart of Midlothian FC, Scotland |
1 (0) |
Sutherland Sharks FC / Football New South Wales |
|
Mitchell DUKE |
Fagiano Okayama, Japan |
25 (9) |
Liverpool Rangers SC / Football New South Wales |
|
Joe GAUCI (Gk) |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
0 |
Cumberland United FC / Football South Australia |
|
Craig GOODWIN |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
14 (3) |
Munro Para City FC / Football South Australia |
|
Jackson IRVINE |
FC St. Pauli, Germany |
53 (7) |
Ringwood City SC / Football Victoria |
|
Garang KUOL |
Heart of Midlothian FC, Scotland |
3 (0) |
Goulburn Valley Suns / Football Victoria |
|
Awer MABIL |
AC Sparta Prague, Czechia |
31 (8) |
Saint Augustines FC / Football South Australia |
|
Riley MCGREE |
Middlesbrough FC, England |
15 (1) |
Gawler Eagles FC / Football South Australia |
|
Connor METCALFE |
FC St. Pauli, Germany |
5 (0) |
South Cardiff FC / Northern NSW Football |
|
Aiden O’NEILL |
Melbourne City FC, Australia |
0 |
University of Queensland Football Club (Formerly Kenmore FC) / Football Queensland |
|
Andrew REDMAYNE (Gk) |
Sydney FC, Australia |
4 (0) |
Gosford City Dragons FC / Football New South Wales |
|
Alexander ROBERTSON |
Manchester City FC, England |
0 |
Pagewood Botany FC / Football New South Wales |
|
Kye ROWLES |
Heart of Midlothian FC, Scotland |
7 (0) |
Palm Beach SC / Football Queensland |
|
Mathew RYAN (Gk) (Cpt) |
AZ Alkmaar, Netherland |
79 (0) |
Blacktown City FC / Football New South Wales |
|
Harry SOUTTAR |
Leicester City FC, England |
14 (6) |
Brechin City Boys Club (Scotland) |
|
Ryan STRAIN |
St Mirren FC, Scotland |
1 (0) |
Aston Villa FC (UK) |
|
Marco TILIO |
Melbourne City FC, Australia |
5 (0) |
APIA Leichhardt FC & Sydney Olympic FC / Football New South Wales |
|
Bailey WRIGHT |
Rotherham United FC, England |
28 (2) |
Langwarrin SC / Football Victoria |
|
Train-On Player Nestory IRANKUNDA |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
0 |
Adelaide Croatia Raiders SC / Football South Australia |
SUBWAY SOCCEROOS’ WELCOME HOME SERIES – MATCH SCHEDULE
Match Day One
Date: Friday, 24 March 2023
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Time: 8.10pm AEDT
Tickets: https://premier.ticketek.com.au
Broadcast: Live on 10 in Sydney and Melbourne, 10 Bold in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth, and on 10 Play and Paramount+.
Match Day Two
Date: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Venue: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Time: 7:35pm AEDT
Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/
Broadcast: Live on 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+