Socceroos stars Danny Vukovic and Martin Boyle suffer serious injuries

Australia will be forced to begin its qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in September without two European based stars.

Update: The Socceroos’ World Cup qualifying campaign is still six weeks away, but already head coach Graham Arnold is receiving the same medical bulletins that blighted his Asian Cup defence.

Injuries to Martin Boyle and Danny Vukovic before most European leagues have even kicked off have ruled both out into the new year, and testing the depth Arnold has tried to build over the past year.

Vukovic has ruptured his Achilles tendon and is likely to be missing into the new year, while Boyle – only just returned from a knee injury suffered on international duty at the end of last year - is out “for the foreseeable future” after reinjuring it for his club Hibernian.

On a tour of Europe to scout players ahead of the Qatar 2022 qualifiers beginning in September, Arnold was phlegmatic about losing two players already.

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“First and foremost it’s disappointing for both boys, especially as Martin has worked hard to get back from his first injury,” Arnold said.

“I know both will be gutted to miss a period for club and country but I also know they’ll work hard to be back as soon as possible.

“But this is exactly why we’ve worked so hard to increase our depth before we get into the pressure of a World Cup qualifying campaign.

“Injuries like this show why it’s so important for us to have a wide group of players ready to step in.

“That’s why I took over the Olympic team, to have a pool of 50-60 players who I can be confident can step in as required.

“We’ll need a broad squad over this qualifying cycle.”

Boyle’s loss in particular will be felt in a Socceroos attack still short of goalscoring options, after Arnold persuaded Boyle to throw his lot in with Australia last year but saw him injured on the eve of the Asian Cup, since when he has not figured in the green and gold.

Boyle meanwhile will also have fresh surgery on the knee injured last Friday against Elgin City, only his third game back since damaging it against Oman on December 30 last year.

Vukovic meanwhile has had a remarkable two years in Belgium halted by the injury which was confirmed by his agent Mikkel Beck. Having won the Belgian league and Super Cup last season, and player of the season the year before – as well as earning selection for the Socceroos squad at last year’s World Cup – Vukovic, 34, now faces “a long and hard recovery”, Beck said on Twitter.

Goalkeeper Danny Vukovic has ruptured his Achilles tendon. Picture: Toby Zerna

Australia's Martin Boyle has suffered another knee injury. Picture: Photo by David Moir/AFP

The recovery time for a ruptured Achilles is four to six months, and realistically Vukovic’s age means a period towards the end of that scale is likely.

Australia begins its qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in September, with Boyle and Vukovic likely to miss the first four games.