Concern as Jedinak in doubt for crunch qualifiers
BEN MCKAY AUSTRALIAN soccer captain Mile Jedinak will walk a fitness tightrope to be selected in next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Iraq and United Arab Emirates.
And the Socceroos skipper isn’t the only one to be in doubt for the crunch ties, with national team coach Ange Postecoglou revealing his concern for several Asian-based stars.
Mathew Spiranovic, Robbie Kruse and Apo Giannou, each based in China, and J-League pair Milos Degenek and Nathan Burns will have just a few league matches to find form and fitness before the March 23 and 28 qualifiers.
Australia will already be without first-choice midfielder Tom Rogic and back-up gloveman Adam Federici for the matches in Tehran and Sydney.
It all means Postecoglou is likely to call on around six ALeague players in his next national team squad.
“He’s touch and go,” Postecoglou said of Jedinak.
“He’s missed a lot of foot- ball so far and we’re two weeks away from selecting the squad. We’d need him to play at some point between now and selection to be a chance.”
The lion-hearted midfielder hasn’t played in a month for club side Aston Villa, who haven’t won a match in that time. A groin ailment has held the 32-year-old defensive midfielder back.
Villa boss Steve Bruce told reporters he hoped to recall Jedinak sooner rather than later, with a match against league leaders Newcastle looming.
“Hopefully he might return on Monday (against Newcastle). We’ve certainly missed him in the last three or four weeks and we are hoping to get him back,” he said.
Postecoglou said Jedinak attempted to play through the injury to help out his embattled club.
“I watched him play around Christmas and you could tell he wasn’t moving freely but Mile’s the type who’ll keep playing. They realised and he realised he couldn’t go on like that,” he said.
Mark Milligan, Jackson Ir- vine, Luke Brattan and even in-form Melbourne City defensive midfielder Neil Kilkenny could be replacements for Jedinak.
Postecoglou is pondering his striking options given firstchoice forward Tomi Juric hasn’t run out a match since October.
“Looking at March you would like him to get some game time if possible to feel confident about how he would perform,” he said.
“If (Giannou) doesn’t play the first couple of rounds he will be touch and go.”