Arnold expected to name Adelaide sensation Goodwin

Adelaide striker Craig Goodwin is among number of A-League players have caught the eye of Socceroos coach Graham Arnold.

Adelaide United’s Craig Goodwin should be a Socceroos selection. Picture: Matt Loxton

Adelaide striker Craig Goodwin is among a number of A-League players to have caught the eye of Socceroos coach Graham Arnold as he prepares to name an extended squad for friendlies against South Korea and Lebanon later this month

The Australian understands there could be as many as six picked from the national competition with Goodwin certain to be among them following his remarkable surge of form over the past six to eight weeks since returning from a stint in the Netherlands.

Melbourne Victory trio Thomas Deng, James Troisi and Terry Antonis, Perth Glory’s Chris Ikonomidis and Jason Davidson, Sydney FC’s Rhyan Grant, Josh Brillante and Brandon O’Neill and Melbourne City’s Riley McGree could all come into contention as Arnold casts his net far and wide.

Scottish attacker Martin Boyle will also be named in the squad and should make his Socceroos debut after he received his paperwork from the Australian government last week.

The 25-year-old, who was born in Aberdeen, plays for Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League but is eligible to play for Australia because his father was born in Sydney. Boyle was in camp with the Socceroos in Dubai last month but could not play in a friendly against Kuwait last month because his papers had not come through in time.

A speedy winger, Boyle will add an extra dimension to an Australian attack that has lacked a cutting edge in the final third of the field, especially given Arnold is reportedly looking at different formation options including playing with three No 9s.

Andrew Nabbout and Jamie Maclaren are likely to be very strong chances for inclusion, something that will add more firepower, now they are fully fit again.

Nabbout made his comeback for his Japanese club, Urawa Red Diamonds late in September and has had almost 40 minutes of football since undergoing an operation on the shoulder he injured at the World Cup.

Maclaren played 90 minutes for Hibernian on Saturday in his first game back after being sidelined since mid-September with a back injury.

Goodwin’s selection comes as no surprise and is thoroughly deserved.

He has been one of the form players of the A-League, scoring in all three matches this season and helping United to their unbeaten start. Goodwin could not have been more impressive in scoring a brace against the Central Coast Mariners last Sunday with Arnold looking on in the stands.

With Daniel Arzani now sidelined for at least 10 months with an ACL, this is a huge opportunity for Goodwin to make his mark and push for a spot in the squad for the Asian Cup finals in January.

His ability at set pieces, especially with free-kicks, adds another dimension to his claims.

Arnold’s decision to fall back on the A-League players and utilise the week he will have with the squad in Australia is understandable.

With just the two friendlies between now and the Asian Cup in January, he has little room to manoeuvre given he has had just 15 days and the Kuwait game last month leading into the matches against the Koreans in Brisbane on November 20 and Lebanon at ANZ Stadium three days later.

By the time the Asian Cup comes around, Arnold, who took the reins of the Socceroos in July, will have had just three games and less than 30 days’ preparation. Cahill will be part of the Socceroos squad in Brisbane and Sydney. He will act as a sounding board for the rest of the squad but is scheduled to play just five minutes or so against Lebanon as part of his national team farewell.