Socceroos veteran Mark Milligan says team ready to step up in absence of captain Mile Jedinak

MARK Milligan believes the Socceroos squad has the collective strength to cope with the absence from this month’s Confederations Cup of their leader and captain Mile Jedinak.

Mark Milligan looks set to captain the Socceroos in the absence of Mile Jedinak.

MARK Milligan believes the Socceroos squad has the collective strength to cope with the absence from this month’s Confederations Cup of their leader and captain, Mile Jedinak, as he prepares to take a vital leadership role within the side.

Milligan, 31 and with over 50 caps to his name, is the most likely choice to take the armband in Jedinak’s absence through injury, for the three group games in Russia, starting with a June 19 blockbuster against world champions Germany in Sochi.

Capable of playing in the back three or anchoring the midfield, where Jedinak has been integral to the team’s shape, Milligan’s old head and reliability will now be more vital than ever to any success the team may enjoy this month.

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“We’ve created good atmosphere [within the group]. Mile is it the head of that, obviously. [But] everyone is aware of their individual jobs, whether that’s from starting positions, or bench positions, all over the park,” Milligan said at the team’s hotel in Sochi, after the squad flew in to Russia on Thursday following a World Cup qualifying victory over Saudi Arabia in Adelaide and a 4-0 friendly loss to Brazil in Melbourne.

Mark Milligan looks set to captain the Socceroos in the absence of Mile Jedinak.

“If something like this happens, if Mile or someone else is to miss out late on, whoever steps in knows the role they have to play and the job they have to do. We’re as focused on being successful as we would be if he was here.

“[Who wears the armband] is a bit irrelevant, I’m more focused on getting ready to play if needs be.”

The Socceroos come in to the tournament, in which they will also face Cameroon and South American champions Chile in a testing group, off the back of mixed results.

A win over the Saudis kept World Cup qualification on track, but the heavy loss to Brazil, despite moments of attacking promise and the match being affected by mass substitutions, threatened to dent confidence within the squad.

Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak will miss the Confederations Cup with a groin injury.

However, Milligan insists the players are resilient enough to take that on the chin and go again against the Germans.

“We go in every match wanting to do well. But [the Brazil defeat] doesn’t damped the spirits at all, there are positives we took from it.

“[There are] things we need to look at and get better at, but generally when you have an experience like that we take on board what we did wrong and improve on it. Confidence is still very high.”

Milligan, who is still looking for a club for next season after reaching the end of his contract with UAE based Baniyas SC last month, also dismissed reports that he was set for a return to the A-League with Melbourne Victory.

His former boss there, Kevin Muscat, is travelling with the Socceroos squad as a coach for the Confederations Cup, but, Milligan said, nothing had been discussed between the pair and there was “no option at the moment” for any return to the club.