Socceroos coaching staff delighted with comeback of defender Alessandro Circati

The successful return of young defender Alessandro Circati after a lengthy injury-enforced absence came as “no surprise” to Socceroos coaching staff.

Alessandro Circati’s successful return for his Italian club Parma has the 21-year-old defender on the verge of a Socceroos recall for next month’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Socceroos coaching staff were watching closely on Monday morning (AEDT) when Circati played his first game since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in September last year.

Despite Circati having been named in Parma’s match-day squad for more than a month, Monday’s match against Serie A leaders Napoli was his first game back in action.

And he didn’t disappoint, playing the full match and helping Parma keep a clean sheet in a 0-0 home draw.

Parma’s Alessando Circati (back) battles with Napoli's Romelu Lukaku during a 0-0 draw on Monday morning (AEST). Picture: Gianni Santandrea/LaPresse via AP

“It showed … that he was able to play out comfortably 90 minutes against a side that’s challenging for the title, so it means that he’s done his work, he’s been due diligent, and that he’s prepared and done his rehab to a level that’s expected when you play in those leagues,” Socceroos assistant coach Hayden Foxe said.

“We know what he’s been doing. He’s been working ever so hard, doing two or three sessions a day, working with the medical team very closely.

“It’s no surprise now that when he comes back, he can play a (full match) and do it comfortably physically, mentally and tactically.”

Circati seems set for more game time in Parma’s final match of the season this Monday (AEST) against Atalanta.

“Every case is different. You can’t say that he needs to play a certain amount of games before he can get called in or not called in to the national team,” Foxe said.

“We’ll see how he goes again this weekend, and then we’ll see the decision that’s made if he gets selected or not selected for the June camp.”

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Capped four times, Circati’s availability is timely given the Socceroos will again be without injured centre-backs Harry Souttar and Hayden Matthews for the games against Japan (June 5, Perth) and Saudi Arabia (June 11 AEST, Jeddah).

The Socceroos are in second spot – seven points behind Japan and three points ahead of the third-placed Saudis – in Group C in the third round of AFC World Cup qualifiers.

Should they remain in the top two after next month’s matches, the Australians will guarantee themselves a place at next year’s World Cup.

Australia’s squad is set to be named next week, with a host of established and fringe players at a training camp in the United Arab Emirates.

“This camp is about how we can build some resilience, strength and robustness for these two games coming up against Japan and Saudi Arabia,” Foxe said.

“(Qualification) is in our hands. The boys should be confident. Expectations of the boys will be to qualify directly.”

Nectarios Triantis, who starred for Scottish club Hibernian this season, has withdrawn from the camp in the UAE, with uncapped pair Alex Bonetig (Western Sydney Wanderers) and Sebastian Esposito (US Lecce) called into the training squad.

Originally published as Socceroos coaching staff delighted with comeback of defender Alessandro Circati