Mitchell Duke has been dropped from the Socceroos squad as Tony Popovic turns to experienced names to address Australia’s defensive shortages.

Tony Popovic has unveiled a significantly altered Socceroos squad for this month’s crucial World Cup qualifiers, making the bold decision to omit striker Mitchell Duke while recalling full-backs Jason Davidson and Fran Karacic for the first time since 2022.

Defensive Reinforcements Amid Injury Crisis

With first-choice defenders Harry Souttar, Alessandro Circati, and Jordy Bos all unavailable, Popovic has been forced to dig deep into the Socceroos’ defensive options ahead of next Thursday’s clash with Indonesia in Sydney.

As part of his defensive reshuffle, Popovic has handed potential senior debuts to Sydney FC centre-back Alex Grant and Melbourne City’s Kai Trewin. Meanwhile, Hibernian’s Nectarios Triantis, who can operate both in defence and midfield, is also in line for his first appearance, alongside Melbourne Victory’s Ryan Teague.

While Davidson and Karacic provide proven experience, Popovic has taken his biggest selection risks in attack.

Attacking Shake-Up: Duke Dropped, Arzani Given a Chance

The decision to drop Duke—a hard-working and well-regarded figure under former manager Graham Arnold—has raised eyebrows, particularly as Portsmouth striker Kusini Yengi has been included despite playing just two matches since returning from a three-month knee injury.

Notably, Noah Botic, arguably the most in-form Australian forward in the A-League Men, has been left out in favour of Adam Taggart and Brandon Borrello. Meanwhile, Nestory Irankunda has once again been overlooked after missing out on the squad in November.

One of the more surprising inclusions is Daniel Arzani, who has been recalled despite being publicly criticised by Popovic in January for his inconsistency. Since being put on notice, Arzani has started only one of his last seven matches for Melbourne Victory and has failed to register a goal or an assist.

Crucial Fixtures Ahead

Australia will face Indonesia on 20 March before travelling to Hangzhou to meet China on Tuesday, 25 March.

The Socceroos currently sit second in their qualification group, occupying an automatic qualification spot. However, with four teams—including China and Indonesia—just one point behind, there is little room for error in these upcoming fixtures.

Socceroos Squad

Goalkeepers: Maty Ryan, Paul Izzo, Tom Glover*

Defenders: Aziz Behich, Cameron Burgess, Jason Davidson, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Alex Grant*, Fran Karacic, Lewis Miller, Kye Rowles, Kai Trewin

Midfielders: Anthony Caceres, Jackson Irvine, Aiden O’Neill, Ryan Teague, Nectarios Triantis

Forwards: Daniel Arzani, Brandon Borrello, Martin Boyle, Craig Goodwin, Adam Taggart, Marco Tilio, Nishan Velupillay, Kusini Yengi

(Denotes uncapped players)