Seven potential newbies were named to the Socceroos’ 31-man squad for four World Cup qualifiers in June – with nine A-League players from the selected roster traveling to the Middle East.

Uncapped A-League trio Denis Genreau, Connor Metcalfe and Ruon Tongyik join foreign players Riley McGree, Fran Karacic, Kenneth Dougall and Lawrence Thomas as players who could make their Socceroo debuts in matches against Kuwait , Nepal, Chinese Taipei and Jordan.

Jamie Maclaren, Rhyan Grant, Chris Ikonomidis, Mitchell Duke, Curtis Good and Ryan McGowan are other Australian players to be part of the squad for the matches in Kuwait.

Israeli striker Nikita Rukavytsya has been recalled after scoring 17 goals in 20 games for Maccabi Haifa in the Premier League.

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has revealed that some unnamed Australian players could not be selected due to COVID-19 reasons.

“I am very happy with the players who have arrived and will continue to arrive to represent the Socceroos in our last four playoffs of the second set,” said Arnold.

“We have selected a balanced team that combines youth and experience, but also a team that rewards players for their outstanding performance in their clubs over the past six to twelve months.

“I’ve said many times that I believe the strength of the Socceroos lies in their young players. With my squad, I look forward to working with the many new faces of this squad as we continue to build the depth of the team. Also, we are delighted to be working with the experienced and senior players that we will have with us, as together we strive to advance to the next qualifying round with eight victories under our belt.

“Our extended team of 31 players will provide us with the flexibility and adaptability that we will need as we will play four matches in 12 days, and the period of acclimatization and preparation that half of our team will have here in the UAE will be. crucial before the first two matches in Kuwait.

“It’s no secret that we originally aimed to name this team last week, but certain challenges with COVID, as well as personal injuries and circumstances, meant that some players were left out of the final calculation. have communicated extensively with these players and will continue to support them individually as they strive to return to the Socceroos later in the year. ”

Socceroos’ 31-player squad for June World Cup qualifiers

Aziz BEHICH (Kayserispor, Turkey)
Brandon BORRELLO (Fortuna Dusseldorf, Germany)
Martin BOYLE (Hibernian FC, Scotland)
Milos DEGENEK (Red Star of Belgrade, Serbia)
Kenneth DOUGALL (Blackpool FC, England)
Mitchell DUKE (Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia)
Denis GENREAU (Macarthur FC, Australia)
Apostolos GIANNOU (OFI Crete, Greece)
Curtis GOOD (Melbourne City FC, Australia)
Rhyan GRANT (Sydney FC, Australia)
James HOLLAND (LASK Linz, Austria)
Ajdin HRUSTIC (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany)
Chris IKONOMIDIS (Perth Glory FC, Australia)
Jackson IRVINE (Hibernian FC, Scotland)
Fran KARACIC (Brescia Calcio, Italy)
Mathew LECKIE (Hertha BSC, Germany)
Awer MABIL (FC Midtjylland, Denmark)
Jamie MACLAREN (Melbourne City FC, Australia)
Ryan MCGOWAN (Sydney FC, Australia)
Riley MCGREE (Birmingham City FC, England)
Connor METCALFE (Melbourne City FC, Australia)
Andrew REDMAYNE (Gk) (Sydney FC, Australia)
Nikita RUKAVYTSYA (Maccabi Haifa FC, Israel)
Mathew RYAN (Gk) (Arsenal FC, England)
Trent SAINSBURY (KV Kortrijk, Belgium)
Brad SMITH (Seattle Sounders FC, United States of America)
Harry SOUTTAR (Stoke City FC, England)
Adam TAGGART (Cerezo Osaka, Japan)
Lawrence THOMAS (Gk) (SønderjyskE Fodbold, Denmark)
Ruon TONGYIK (Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia)
Danny VUKOVIC (Gk) (KRC Genk, Belgium)

Socceroos’ schedule for the June World Cup qualifiers

Australia v Kuwait

Thursday June 3, 2021 (June 4 AEST)

Location: Jaber Al-Hamad International Stadium

Kick-off: 9:30 p.m. local, 4:30 a.m. AEST (Friday morning)

Watch on Fox Sports, Kayo Sports, ABC TV and My Football Live App.

Nepal v Australia

Monday June 7, 2021 (June 8 AEST)

Location: Jaber Al-Hamad International Stadium

Kick-off: 7:30 p.m. local, 2:30 a.m. AEST (Tuesday morning)

Watch on Fox Sports, Kayo Sports, SBS Television and My Football Live App.

Australia v Chinese Taipei

Friday June 11, 2021 (June 12 AEST)

Location: Kuwait Sports Club Stadium

Kick-off: 7:30 p.m. local, 2:30 a.m. AEST (Saturday morning)

Watch on Fox Sports, Kayo Sports, ABC TV and the Football Live app.

Australia v Jordan

Tuesday June 15, 2021 (June 16 AEST)

Location: Kuwait Sports Club Stadium

Kick-off: 9:30 p.m. local, 4:30 a.m. AEST (Wednesday morning)

Watch on Fox Sports, Kayo Sports, ABC TV and My Football Live App.