2019 Asian Cup: Socceroos hit with another injury blow with striker Martin Boyle set to miss tournament
Graham Arnold can’t escape the “unfortunate” nature of Martin Boyle’s Asian Cup injury blow, but the Socceroos boss is some consolation he still has enough time to replace his Scotland-born star before the tournament starts.
Update: Graham Arnold can’t escape the “unfortunate” nature of Martin Boyle’s Asian Cup injury blow, but the Socceroos boss is taking solace from the small consolation he still has enough time to replace his Scotland-born star before the tournament begins.
And he holds faith “miracles will happen” in the United Arab Emirates this month despite the hammer blow of losing yet another key player.
Based on current circumstances, he’ll need one.
Never before has Australia entered a major tournament missing so many important personnel, not least one featuring more fancied nations in South Korea, Iran, Japan and even Saudi Arabia.
The knee-injury curse had already hit teenage X-factor Daniel Arzani and midfield linchpin Aaron Mooy.
It’s now also taken Boyle, the man who offered so many creative qualities the Socceroos have missed in recent years and looked certain to play a huge part in his adopted country’s 2015 trophy defence.
The Hibernian winger, born and raised in Scotland but whose father is from Sydney, took a knock to his left knee and felt a pop after being fouled late in Sunday’s 5-0 friendly win over Oman.
Scan results – delayed due to New Year’s Eve and the time difference with Australia – delivered news he’d be out for a lengthy period, understood to be estimated at around six weeks.
Late on Tuesday night the Socceroos medical department decided to send the “gutted” 25-year-old back to Scotland for treatment with his club.
Arnold was planning to call Hibs manager Neil Lennon, who has two other players away in camp in skipper Mark Milligan and striker Jamie Maclaren.
“It’s unfortunate,” Arnold said.
“Martin’s given us a lot of lease on life since he’s been with Australia but his journey with us will continue.
“We’ve got World Cup qualifiers after this and we’ve got a World Cup that he will be a part of.
“There is one positive out of it – that it’s happened now and didn’t happen after the first round.
“If there is a positive, he can be replaced. If this happened after the first or second game then they’re going through the rest of the tournament with 22 players.”
Arnold has until six hours before the opening game to make changes to his squad.
Apostolos Giannou is set to become the immediate beneficiary of that timing, with Arnold understood to be in the process of calling the Cyprus-based striker into camp this week ahead of Sunday’s opening group match against Jordan.
Pressure to ignite Australia’s new mobile attack now falls heavily on the shoulders of youngsters Chris Ikonomidis, Awer Mabil, Andrew Nabbout and the more established Robbie Kruse.
Ikonomidis, Mabil and Nabbout all scored against Oman, and Arnold saw the silver lining as an opportunity to test depth.
“There’s some conjecture around some selections but at the end of the day these boys have got the qualities, they’ve just got to believe in themselves,” he said.
“Ikonomidis was fantastic the other night, his fitness levels are great. Nabbout is fantastic, they’ve just got to believe in themselves.
“That’s my job, to get them believing. Once the believing happens you create miracles, and miracles will happen.
“I’m 100 per cent positive. It’s my job to keep these boys 100 per cent positive, and they are.
“When you believe in something and you have the strength to believe, miracles will happen.
“Yes, it is unfortunate, but it’s opening the opportunity for other players. I do believe we’ve got those players.”
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