World Cup qualifiers: Tom Rogic back in business after operation but Socceroos playing cautious card
While the Socceroos play two games in five days next month as part of their long World Cup qualifying trek, gifted No.10 Tom Rogic won’t play and has been given permission to get married.
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Star playmaker Tom Rogic won’t play in Australia’s World Cup qualifiers next month, despite scoring for Celtic this week as he steps up his return from a knee operation.
It’s emerged that Socceroos staff agreed months ago the gifted No 10 would sit out Australia’s games in the September and October windows, as part of his gradual return from an injury-plagued season last year that culminated in knee surgery.
Instead Rogic has been given permission to get married next month after electing to have the surgery in the off-season, aware that the Socceroos have World Cup qualifiers in November, March and June, straight after the end of Celtic’s season, quickly followed by Australia’s appearance at the Copa America where they will play at least five games in Argentina or Colombia.
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So far Rogic has played only 119 minutes of game time for Celtic since returning from the operation, though he scored as Celtic sauntered to a 5-0 Scottish League Cup win over Partick Thistle.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon revealed last month that Rogic was due to get married, and Arnold confirmed that he had agreed not to select Rogic while he builds up his fitness.
“I’ve had regular discussions with Tomi since he had what was a season of injuries last year, and he’s only just now coming back and building himself up slowly for what will be a big year ahead,” Arnold said.
“We knew he wouldn’t be ready for the game against Kuwait last month and at best would be touch and go for these games in October.
“Looking at the program ahead, hopefully he’s going to be fit to play the rest of the season for us, then World Cup qualifiers and then the Copa America.
“He’ll pretty much go straight back into pre-season training with Celtic from there, so we agreed he will get married in this window, given we didn’t expect him to be fully fit.”
Arnold will include striker Adam Taggart despite incorrect reports that Taggart had been injured in Korea and was facing a month out.
Otherwise Arnold seems set to name an almost unchanged squad next week to take on Nepal and Chinese Taipei, after opening the World Cup program with a comfortable 3-0 win in Kuwait earlier this month.
Originally published as World Cup qualifiers: Tom Rogic back in business after operation but Socceroos playing cautious card