Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak looks set to return for vital World Cup playoffs
MILE Jedinak has made his return to the Aston Villa squad, indicating he will return for the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifiers. Also, get the latest on Robbie Kruse and Mathew Leckie.
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DAYS after the Socceroos missed a host of scoring chances that could have secured World Cup qualification, key duo Mathew Leckie and Robbie Kruse netted on their club returns.
But the most heartening news for the treacherous World Cup playoffs came with Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak returning to the Aston Villa team sheet for the first time since May.
The midfielder has not played since Australia’s 3-2 World Cup qualifying win against Saudi Arabia in early June. He was released from Confederations Cup duty so he could return to England to recover from a longstanding groin problem.
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Jedinak was an unused substitute in Sunday’s 0-0 home draw with Brentford but should return to the Socceroos squad for the two-legged playoff against Syria on October 5 and 10.
After failing to score for defensive-minded Ingolstadt last season, Leckie backed up an opening-round double for Bundesliga high-flyer Hertha Berlin by pouncing to blast the ball home in a 1-1 home draw with Werder Bremen.
Bibiana Steinhaus made history as the first female referee to officiate in a top European league and Hertha marked the occasion by offering half-price tickets to female supporters.
Kruse’s goal may be even more significant. Making his fourth start of the season for new club Bochum, he scored his first club goal in almost four years, after a string of injuries.
The attacker glided past the defence to score an 86th-minute winner to knock Jamie Maclaren’s Darmstadt off top spot in the German second division. Maclaren was an unused substitute in the 2-1 loss.
Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan also gained confidence, playing a key role for Brighton in its first Premier League win, 3-1 at home to West Bromwich.
Fellow shot-stopper Mitch Langerak was not on the team sheet for his new Spanish club Levante, which drew 1-1 at Real Madrid.
Former Newcastle Jets keeper Mark Birighitti made his debut for Dutch club NAC Breda after signing from Swansea on deadline day. Breda lost 2-1 at AZ Alkmaar.
Winger Craig Goodwin is making claims for a Socceroos call-up. He ghosted in on the back post to score a neat volley in Sparta Rotterdam’s 1-0 home win against FC Twente.
Defender Trent Sainsbury made his first club start since October and played his first club minutes since May, starting for Jiangsu Suning in a 0-0 draw at Shandong Luneng in China.
Originally published as Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak looks set to return for vital World Cup playoffs
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