Socceroos star ruled out of friendlies as Arnie turns to Scotland for replacement

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has gone to the Scottish well again and called up defender Ryan Strain into his squad for friendlies against Ecuador after an injury to Aaron Mooy.

The 32-year-old was ruled out of Celtic FC’s fixture last weekend with back soreness and the decision was made for Mooy to continue his recovery in Scotland.

That’s opened the door for former Adelaide United’s Strain, who now also plays in the Scottish Premier League for St Mirren FC, to add to his national caps having made his debut against New Zealand in 2022.

“It’s unfortunate for Aaron that he misses these games, something I know he was very much looking forward to playing, but his absence provides an opportunity to a further emerging player as we start this new campaign.

“After speaking with Aaron, who missed this weekend’s game, he would only be able to play limited minutes if he came to Australia, so the decision was made for him to stay in Scotland and continue his recovery.”

Arnold knows exposing more players to international opponents will only help build his squad’s depth for the next World Cup cycle, which begins in November, as well as the 2024 Asian Cup.

“Ryan has been playing well for St Mirren and deserves this call-up,” Arnold said.

“These matches against strong opposition in Ecuador presents us with the opportunity to commence preparations for the next World Cup cycle.

“Building depth in the squad is important as we look to build upon what the team achieved at the World Cup in Qatar, and I’m excited by the blend of experience and youth that we’ve assembled for these two matches.

“This camp will also expose these new players to how an international window works, with limited training sessions and preparation time, which will hold them in good stead moving forward.”

The Socceroos play Ecuador in Sydney on March 24 and in Melbourne on March 28.