Attacks on for final 23
Nabbout welcomes pressure from Maclaren
ANDREW Nabbout welcomes the extra competition for a Socceroos World Cup berth provided by Jamie Maclaren’s late call-up.
Maclaren was sunning himself on Dubai’s artificial Palm Islands when summoned into the pre-tournament camp in Turkey as cover for Tomi Juric, who is nursing a knee injury and could yet be ruled out of contention for Russia.
With Tim Cahill considered a lock for Australia’s 23-man squad, it means Juric and Maclaren are jostling with attacking utilities Nabbout and Nikita Rukavytsya to make Bert van Marwijk’s final cut.
“You’ve seen the kind of quality that Jamie brings,” said Nabbout. “It’s good that he’s here, it gives a little bit more competition as well and now there’s one more person to be up against.
“That’s what we want, it’s the best places to be where the expectations are high, competition is high.
“We’ve definitely got a few attacking options and we’re going to be out there to score goals, that’s for sure.”
Maclaren’s exclusion from pre-World Cup camp caused an uproar, with the 24-yearold having overcome a rusty start to the season by scoring eight goals in 15 appearances on loan at Scottish Premiership side Hibernian.
Yet to score in five international appearances, his pace and mobility offer something entirely different to Juric, who is taller, stronger and more adept at bringing others into play.
Nabbout is nominally a winger but has played up front in the A-League for the Newcastle Jets and was used as a striker by van Marwijk against Norway in March.
Mathew Leckie and Robbie Kruse are other potential candidates to play as a striker, although they have been used predominantly out wide.
Socceroos players have only one friendly match, against the Czech Republic in Austria tomorrow night, to impress van Marwijk before he trims four players before Monday’s nomination deadline.
Outside of that, it’s their application on the training paddock that will help decide who goes on to Russia.
“Before coming in I knew it was going to be competitive, it was going to be fierce at training and it is,” Nabbout said.
“Tackles are flying in. You want players to be fighting for a spot in that 23.
“I think all the players are working as hard as they can to be there.”