Graham Arnold backs Olyroos to earn Olympic spot via AFC Championship

Graham Arnold is backing his Olyroos side to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics despite some notable absences from the squad.

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold. Picture: AAP

Graham Arnold is backing his Olyroos side to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics despite some notable absences from his squad.

Arnold named a 23-man squad on Monday comprising 14 A-League players and nine based overseas for January’s AFC U-23 Championship in Thailand.

The tournament serves as an Olympic qualifying competition, with the top three teams joining hosts Japan as Asia’s representatives.

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While A-League clubs released their young players for international duty, Arnold’s team had to negotiate with foreign clubs to secure the services of overseas-based talent.

Three training camps during FIFA windows were crucial to the squad’s gelling and preparation given other teams were able to depart for Thailand earlier.

“That’s why we fought so hard to get the boys out of overseas clubs and to get them here,” Arnold said.

“That’s why I fought so hard to have those three camps as preparation camps in the FIFA windows and we go in there expecting to qualify.”

The Olyroos haven’t featured at the Olympics since 2008 and Arnold will have to deal with a number of missing personnel in January.

Harry Souttar, who could be recalled from his loan spell at Fleetwood Town to help Stoke City’s relegation battle, was not named in the squad, with Arnold conceding the lanky defender’s availability was “not looking great”.

Arnold also said Daniel Arzani (Celtic, on loan from Manchester City), who has been on the comeback trail from a knee reconstruction, had felt “not ready”.

The suspended quartet of Riley McGree, Lachlan Wales, Nathaniel Atkinson and Brandon Wilson are unavailable for Thailand but if the Olyroos do secure qualification, McGree will be eligible to play at the Olympics.

Despite the absences, Arnold said he believed he still had a very strong squad and qualifying would be a huge feat.

“Since 1992, when the Olympics became an under-23 competition, especially with the Socceroos, it’s produced six or seven top Socceroos,” he said. “(Mark) Bresciano and (Vince) Grella for example, they didn’t play for the Socceroos until after they were Olympians and the next phase in the journey for these kids to become Socceroos.

“And I truly believe that from what I’ve seen – and that’s why I took the job, to be able to work and get to know them mentally – I truly believe by the end of 2020, there’ll be five kids out of this group that will be part of the Socceroos squad, so it’s very important.”

The Olyroos head to Kuala Lumpur for a training camp and friendly against South Korea before travelling to Bangkok.

They will play Iraq, Thailand and Bahrain in Group A of the tournament on January 8, 11 and 14 respectively. The top two teams in each of the four groups advance to the knockout stages.

AAP