One month out from the World Cup and there are a number of questions that still linger around Graham Arnold’s 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Key players such as Kye Rowles, Nathaniel Atkinson, Ajdin Hrustić and Harry Souttar remain under injury clouds and are racing against the clock to prove their fitness ahead of football’s biggest tournament which begins on November 20. The latter two in particular, Hrustić and Souttar, are key members of the starting XI and will be difficult to replace if they miss out on selection.
On the flip side, the start of the 2022/23 A-League Men season will surely be giving Arnold some food for thought on Australia-based players to grant a ticket to Qatar. The likes of Mathew Leckie, Jamie Maclaren and Jason Cummings have bolstered their claims for selection while Jake Brimmer and Marco Tilio have struggled to find form across the season’s opening three rounds.
Here is Kick360’s full position-by-position breakdown of the potential Socceroos squad and our preferred 26-man squads, listed at the bottom of the article.
Goalkeepers:
On the plane: Mathew Ryan, Andrew Redmayne
Confident: Mitch Langerak
In contention: Danny Vuković, Joe Gauci
The pecking order in the Goalkeeper position has changed a bit over the last few months, with Mitch Langerak who recently returned to the national team seemengly set to be included in the squad, but overall the hierarchy remains the same.
Despite Mathew Ryan’s struggles at club level, the captain of the Socceroos will most likely keep his spot between the posts, as his form for Australia has remained extremely consistent throughout the whole qualification cycle.
Left-backs:
On the plane: Aziz Behich
Confident:
In contention: Jason Davidson, Joel King, Callum Elder
Left-back remains a major trouble spot for the Socceroos. The position is limited, particularly in possession and that was evident in the two games against New Zealand.
Aziz Behich seems to have secured a place in the squad, due to his vast experiance and decent performances in the qualifiers, but on a couple of occasions he has shown that tactically and technically he’s not a very reliable option.
Joel King and Jason Davidson will likely be fighting for the other full-back spot on the left, with Callum Elder being consistently overlooked by Arnold, despite him getting regular minutes at a solid level in the English Championship.
Centre-backs:
On the plane:
Confident: Trent Sainsbury, Miloš Degenek, Harry Souttar, Kye Rowles
In contention: Bailey Wright, Harrison Delbridge, Thomas Deng, Ryan McGowan, Gianni Stensness, Alessandro Circati
Injuries continue to plague Australia’s options at the heart of defence. First choice pairing Harry Souttar and Kye Rowles have been on the sidelines with long term injuries which could open the door for the likes of Miloš Degenek, Thomas Deng and Trent Sainsbury to start at the World Cup.
Arnold’s son-in-law Sainsbury has been a mainstay of the national team for a period of time but has struggled for match minutes in the lead up to Qatar and is currently maintaining his fitness at Melbourne City. 19-year-old Italian youth international Alessandro Circati has impressed in Serie B for Parma alongside legendary keeper Gianluigi Buffon and could be lured into representing Australia if a World Cup berth were to be dangled in front of him.
Right-backs:
On the plane: Nathaniel Atkinson
Confident: Fran Karačić
In contention: Ryan Strain, Josh Risdon, Rhyan Grant
Similarly to the situation on the left side of the defence, the competition for the right-back spots is still very much on. If fit, Nathaniel Atkinson and Fran Karačić (both injured at the moment) seem like options A and B in Graham Arnold’s eyes, despite their clear deficiencies and inconsistent performances with the green and gold shirt.
Rhyan Grant and Josh Risdon have started the A-League season in good form and will be hoping to make a final push, especially if Atkinson and Karačić are unfit. Same goes for Ryan Strain who has impressed with St. Mirren in Scotland and could be an excellent attacking option down the right-hand side.
Central Midfielders:
On the plane: Aaron Mooy, Jackson Irvine
Confident: Ajdin Hrustić, Cameron Devlin
In contention: Connor Metcalfe, Kenneth Dougall, Denis Genreau, Tyrese Francois, James Jeggo, Keanu Baccus
Central midfield is undoubtedly the strongest area for the Socceroos. Aaron Mooy and Jackson Irvine are nailed on starters when fit and the same goes for Verona’s Ajdin Hrustić. Ostensibly Australia’s best player, Hrustić suffered an ankle injury earlier this month against Milan and is racing against the clock to prove his fitness for Qatar.
Cameron Devlin has been in sublime form for Heart of Midlothian and appears likely to make the final squad after impressive performances in the recent friendly games against New Zealand. Connor Metcalfe likely leads the race for the final spot in midfield as he continues to find his feat at FC St Pauli while Denis Genreau, Kenneth Dougall and Keanu Baccus may be the unlucky ones to miss out.
Attacking Midfielders:
On the plane:
Confident: Riley McGree
In contention: Tom Rogić, Jake Brimmer, Cristian Volpato
The Socceroos face a curious predicament in attacking midfield as national team mainstays Riley McGree and Tom Rogić struggle for minutes in the English Championship. Their past performances for the national team speak for themselves but neither can be certain that they will be headed to Qatar.
Last season’s Johnny Warren Medallist Jake Brimmer is in a poor patch of form for Melbourne Victory which could erase his chances of an unlikely call-up. Cristian Volpato continues to go from strength to strength under José Mourinho at Roma but seems more likely to represent Italy at international level.
Wingers:
On the plane: Martin Boyle, Awer Mabil, Mathew Leckie
Confident: Craig Goodwin, Garang Kuol
In contention: Marco Tilio, Daniel Arzani, Brandon Borrello
Graham Arnold has a wealth of options at his disposal in the wide attacking positions. Martin Boyle, Awer Mabil and Mathew Leckie are almost guaranteed to make the squad and will fight it out for places in the starting XI. Craig Goodwin’s set-piece threat and delivery in the final third makes him a unique option off the bench while teenage prodigy Garang Kuol looms likely to etch his name in the history books by becoming one of the youngest players to ever feature at a World Cup.
Brandon Borrello has enjoyed a solid start to life as a Western Sydney Wanderer and could make the final squad while Marco Tilio and Daniel Arzani will be competing with Kuol as Arnold’s difference-maker off the bench.
Centre-forwards:
On the plane: Mitchell Duke
Confident: Adam Taggart, Jason Cummings
In contention: Jamie Maclaren, Nick D’Agostino
The No.9 position seems to be one of the weakest spots in the team. Duke, Maclaren, and Taggart, who are usually seen as the three main options, have scored 16 goals between them, from a total of 44 appearances, since Graham Arnold took charge back in 2018. Only two of those 16 goals have been scored in 2022. Simply not enough.
Despite the above said, Duke seems likely to lead the line in Qatar, while Cummings and Taggart have both done enough at club level to be confident in their chances.
The likes of Nick D’Agostino and Jamie Maclaren are likely to have made Arnold’s 55-man provisional World Cup squad, but they will have to do more than well from now until the announcement of the 26, in order to make the cut.
Predicted Socceroos 26-man World Cup squads:
Tom Williams:
Goalkeepers (3): Mathew Ryan, Mitch Langerak, Andrew Redmayne
Left-backs (2): Aziz Behich, Jason Davidson
Centre-backs (5): Harry Souttar, Kye Rowles, Trent Sainsbury, Thomas Deng, Miloš Degenek
Right-backs (1): Nathaniel Atkinson
Central midfielders (5): Aaron Mooy, Jackson Irvine, Ajdin Hrustić, Connor Metcalfe, Cameron Devlin
Attacking midfielders (2): Tom Rogić, Riley McGree
Wingers (5): Mathew Leckie, Martin Boyle, Awer Mabil, Craig Goodwin, Garang Kuol
Centre-forwards (3): Mitchell Duke, Adam Taggart, Jason Cummings
Petar Petrov:
Goalkeepers (3): Mathew Ryan, Andrew Redmayne, Danny Vuković
Left-backs (2): Aziz Behich, Jason Davidson
Centre-backs: (4): Harry Souttar, Kye Rowles, Trent Sainsbury, Thomas Deng
Right-backs (2): Nathaniel Atkinson, Fran Karačić
Central midfielders (5): Aaron Mooy, Jackson Irvine, Ajdin Hrustić, Connor Metcalfe, Cameron Devlin
Attacking midfielders (2): Tom Rogić, Riley McGree
Wingers (5): Mathew Leckie, Martin Boyle, Awer Mabil, Craig Goodwin, Garang Kuol
Centre-forwards (3): Mitchell Duke, Adam Taggart, Jamie Maclaren
Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images
