Ipswich Town midfielder Massimo Luongo has withdrawn from Australia’s World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan next week due to an ankle injury, as announced by Football Australia on Sunday. Luongo’s absence marks a significant blow for the Socceroos, who are in desperate need of points in the qualifying round. He did not feature in his Premier League club’s recent 4-1 defeat to West Ham United, indicating that his injury had already sidelined him prior to the announcement.
Joining Luongo on the injury list is fellow midfielder Connor Metcalfe, who also missed his club St. Pauli’s 3-0 Bundesliga loss to Mainz due to a leg injury. Coach Tony Popovic has swiftly moved to fill the gaps left by the injured players by calling up Luke Brattan from Macarthur FC and Patrick Yazbek from Nashville SC as replacements for the crucial qualifiers.
Luongo was initially called up to the Socceroos squad for the first time since he reversed his decision to retire from international football, having been included in Popovic’s first squad since taking over from Graham Arnold last month. The timing of Luongo’s injury is particularly unfortunate, as the upcoming matches represent critical opportunities for the team to secure their place in the 2026 World Cup.
The match against China on October 12 in Adelaide is a must-win for the Australians, who currently sit with just one point from their opening two matches in the third phase of Asia’s qualifiers. The Socceroos have suffered a loss to Bahrain and managed only a goalless draw against Indonesia, leaving them fifth in Group C, five points behind leaders Japan and three behind second-placed Saudi Arabia. With only the top two teams in the group guaranteed a spot in the World Cup, the pressure is mounting for Australia to perform.
As the Socceroos prepare for the critical fixtures ahead, they will need to rally without two key midfielders if they hope to improve their standings and keep their World Cup dreams alive.
