Captain Mat Ryan could miss Asian Cup with cheekbone injury

The Asian Cup is a major target for the Socceroos, but they could be missing a key player at the tournament in January.

Socceroos captain Mat Ryan injury. Pic: X

The Socceroos could be without captain and first-choice goalkeeper Mat Ryan for January’s Asian Cup after he suffered a fractured cheekbone.

His Dutch club AZ Alkmaar confirmed that Ryan, 31, suffered a head injury at training on Sunday, then had surgery that will sideline him for several weeks.

“Mathew Ryan suffered a head injury during training on Sunday,” AZ Alkmaar said in a statement on their website, translated to English.

“The Australian international has now undergone surgery for a fractured cheekbone and will be sidelined for several weeks.”

Ryan’s injury leaves Socceroos coach Graham Arnold with a headache leading into Australia’s first group game in Qatar, against India on January 13, with the Australians also set to play Syria on January 18 and Uzbekistan five days later.

Ryan is crucial to Australia’s hopes of going better than their quarter-final exit in 2019 and Arnold has made it clear winning the tournament is his aim.

The goalkeeper was part of Australia’s 2015 Asian Cup win on home soil under Ange Postecoglou, the only time the Socceroos have won the tournament.

Eyes on the road ahead 🔙🔜
Thanks for the well wishes 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/7x8UCUyrY6

— Maty Ryan (@MatyRyan) December 11, 2023

🙏 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆

🤒 Doelman Ryan enkele weken uitgeschakeld.#AZ#MR1 | @MatyRyan

— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) December 11, 2023

The Socceroos squad will be finalised later this month and Arnold may follow the Australian cricket team’s lead and carry an injured Ryan into the tournament in the hope he’ll be available.

Star batter Travis Head missed the early stages of the ODI World Cup in India with a broken hand before returning and was player of the match in the epic final victory.

Australia does not have a clear second-choice goalkeeper given Ryan’s stranglehold over the No.1 jersey in recent years.

Mitch Langerak was contentiously left out of last year’s World Cup squad and a recall appears unlikely, with Adelaide United shot-stopper Joe Gauci looming as the next best option having been included in recent squads for World Cup qualifiers.

Gauci, 23, has just one Socceroos cap to his name.

Sydney FC shot-stopper Andrew Redmayne was overlooked for those matches and was red-carded for Sydney FC last weekend.

Ryan had been in strong club form, playing all 24 of AZ Alkmaar’s games this season, recording 10 clean sheets.