City’s limits tested by Olyroos departures

The inclusion of three Melbourne City players in the Australian under-23s could have a telling effect on the club’s finals prospects.

Melbourne City’s Riley McGree is in the Olyroos squad

They will miss only one game, but the inclusion of three Melbourne City players in the Australian under-23s squad for the AFC championship qualifiers this month could have a telling effect on the A-League club’s finals prospects.

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, also the Olyroos boss, yesterday named a 24-man squad that includes 16 A-League players. City and Western Sydney Wanderers have the biggest representation for the tournament, which kicks off in Phnom Penh in Cambodia on March 22.

City will lose regular defender Nathanial Atkinson, midfielder Riley McGree and attacker Lachlan Wales, which means they will be away for the game against Sydney FC at Leichhardt Oval on March 17.

Winless in their past six matches, the Victorians are struggling to hold on to their spot in the top six and the loss of the three could not have come at a worse time for besieged coach Warren Joyce.

Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United will also be affected, with Victory losing defender Thomas Deng for the game against Brisbane Roar on March 16 and Adelaide being without attacker George Blackwood for the match against Perth Glory on March 15.

The Wanderers have lost three first-team regulars in Keanu Baccus, Tass Mourdoukoutas and Abraham Majok, with the trio unavailable for the game against Wellington Phoenix on March 17. It is not so much of an issue for the Wanderers, who are out of finals contention, but it could be a blessing for sixth-placed Phoenix.

The Olyroos will leave for a week-long camp in Kuala Lumpur after the completion of round 21 on Friday and Saturday. They will play two friendlies against local club sides before the opening game against Cambodia on March 22 followed by matches against Chinese Taipei (March 24) and South Korea (March 26).

They need only top the group or be one of four best second-placed teams from the 11 groups to qualify for the championship finals in Thailand later this year, which will determine the Asian qualifiers for the Olympics in Tokyo next year.

Arnold said he appreciated the co-operation and support of the A-League clubs at what is an important stage of the competition.

“The week that we have together in Kuala Lumpur will be vital in preparing us for the challenges that we will face in Phnom Penh, and we certainly appreciate the support of all the clubs that are releasing their players to participate in what is an important tournament for Australia,” Arnold said.

“While we are in Malaysia we will develop our key principles of play and focus on how we believe we can successfully navigate Group H and secure our place at next year’s AFC under-23 championship in Thailand.

“Our three matches in Cambodia represent our first step on the path to next year’s Olympic Games and everyone involved with our squad is eager to help Australia return to the men’s football tournament for the first time since Beijing in 2008.”

Meanwhile, Andy Keogh has re-signed with Perth Glory for another season. The Irish striker, Glory’s all-time A-League top scorer with 52, has signed until the end of the 2019-20 season.

“I’m delighted to have extended,” Keogh said. “I never had any thoughts about leaving Glory and it’s fantastic to be a part of this team and what is an exciting time for the club.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to score goals and hopefully helping the club to secure some silverware.”

Keogh had been linked with a possible move to Melbourne City during the last transfer window in what was suggested would be a swap deal with Bruno Fornaroli.