Socceroos coach Graham Arnold to give fresh faces a chance against Mexico

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold is set to inject some new blood into Australia’s line-up when his side meet Mexico in Dallas.

Graham Arnold will give at least two players their Socceroos debut on Sunday. Picture: WANG Zhao / AFP

National coach Graham Arnold has confirmed that Cameron Burgess and Sammy Silvera will make their Socceroos debut on Sunday against Mexico, while Kye Rowles will be shifted to left-back in a reshuffled Australian defence.

And as Arnold revealed some of his selection decisions for the game in Dallas, he also said that the knee injury attacker Mat Leckie suffered in training was set to sideline the Melbourne City star for about six weeks, which will also rule him out of next month’s friendlies against England and New Zealand, and place him in doubt for the start of the A-League season.

“It was an unintentional knock, just an accident, but these things happen in football,” Arnold said of the training ground incident that has sidelined Leckie.

“The most important thing is Lecks’ health. I’m very apologetic to Melbourne City … because they’ve been very supportive all the way through with all their players that they come into camp.

“The most important thing is that he gets back to Melbourne, and he gets looked after well.”

Leckie’s absence opens up a spot on the wing in the Socceroos’ line-up, with Arnold saying that former Central Coast Mariners star Silvera, who has made a successful start to his career at English club Middlesbrough, was set to make his national team debut – most likely out wide – some time during Sunday’s contest.

Sammy Silvera is set debut for the Socceroos. Picture: Izhar Khan/Getty Images

“Sammy Silvera has been impressive in camp. He will get on the field at some stage (against Mexico),” the Socceroos coach said.

However, Arnold was more definitive about Burgess, saying the towering Scotland-born Ipswich Town defender would make his Socceroos debut as a starter as one of two centre-backs, the other being Harry Souttar.

“I was very impressed with him when I went to watch Ipswich against QPR,” he said of the 198cm Burgess.

“He’s a fantastic guy, and … he’s making his debut at the age of 27, so he is mature and he has had these type of experiences at club level.

“The most important thing is that he connects with the rest of the team and the rest of the players

“With Harry Souttar next to him we’ve probably got the two tallest centre-backs in Asia by far, and both of them are very mobile, so it’s an exciting time.”

Souttar’s regular central defensive partner Rowles will shift to the left side of Australia’s back four, with the squad’s other left back, Melbourne City’s Aziz Behich, hampered by a recent lack of football.

“This gives me an opportunity to see how Kye can perform on the left-hand side (of defence),” Arnold said.

“Kye, I’ve seen play so many times in a back three so I’ve asked the question … show me how you can play in a back four.”

Arnold also put the onus on Souttar, who is out of favour at Leicester, to prove to his club manager Enzo Maresca why he should not be overlooked.

“My message to him is simple, and that is ‘this is your stage and this is your opportunity to show your coach at Leicester, and ask the question why you’re not playing, and show the fans how good you really are’.

“He’s got to use that as motivation to go out there and show everyone that’s watching this game who Harry Souter is and everyone will remember him from (last year’s) World Cup.

“He’s got a great mentality that he wants to show the world what he can do.”