1 hour ago
Socceroos striker Mo Touré sent a scare done campy days earlier nan team’s World Cup opener aft he missed training connected Wednesday (Thursday AEST), highlighting nan vulnerability of a squad bladed connected guardant options.
Touré was astatine nan team’s training guidelines successful Oakland for nan squad photo, but he did not return portion successful training. Media were told nan striker – who has a history of musculus injuries – is expected to train connected Thursday (Friday AEST).
Fullback Jordy Bos said he didn’t initially realise Touré was absent until midway done nan session, but emphasised really important nan Norwich guardant is to nan team.
“We person different players arsenic good that tin besides play striker, but to person Mo is really bully for us,” he said.
Defender Milos Degenek said he did not announcement Touré’s absence astatine all, explaining nan convention was divided betwixt defenders and forwards.
When told by Socceroos unit that Touré was expected to train connected Friday, Degenek brushed disconnected immoderate concerns astir nan striker’s welfare.
“You’ll spot him tomorrow,” he said. “I’m judge he’ll beryllium much than happy to speak to you guys.”
The 22-year-old is tipped to commencement for nan Socceroos successful nan important lone striker domiciled successful Tony Popovic’s favoured system.
Touré won his spot aft a beardown play successful England’s Championship wherever he scored 9 goals successful 11 convention appearances.
Despite his promising opening to his profession successful England, he besides missed much than a period owed a groin wounded suffered successful February. He said connected Wednesday that he has precocious adopted a training regimen based astir wounded prevention.
“When I went to Europe, immoderate of those injuries followed on and I re-injured them and re-injured them,” he said. “I consciousness for illustration I had to do something, and I had to alteration thing aliases they would person [kept] occurring, recurring.”
Touré’s performances successful England this twelvemonth person accrued optimism astir his imaginable effect astatine this World Cup. If he is incapable to play, however, it would time off nan Socceroos short successful an area nan squad is already thin.
The only different master striker successful nan squad, Tete Yengi, scored connected nan play against Switzerland but it was his first quality for nan nationalist team.
Mat Leckie spent overmuch of his profession arsenic a forward, but has played much successful midfield successful caller years. Nishan Velupillay and Nestory Irankunda – some usually wingers aliases imaginative midfielders – could besides beryllium called upon to play up front.
The Socceroos tin still bring successful an wounded replacement for Touré if a superior wounded is suffered nary little than 24 hours earlier nan team’s first lucifer connected Saturday against Turkey.
