Socceroos Face Knockout Stage Short-Handed After Leckie and Italiano Injuries

Australia will march into the World Cup knockout rounds a man light, stripped to 24 players and missing two of their most versatile wide options at the very moment the tournament tightens.

Veteran forward Matthew Leckie and right-back Jacob Italiano have both left camp, their World Cup cut short by injury. Leckie damaged his leg in the defeat to the USA, while Italiano pulled up with a groin problem in training before the draw with Paraguay. Football Australia confirmed the pair have headed back to their clubs’ countries to continue rehabilitation.

For Leckie, it feels particularly cruel. He had only just dragged himself back from injury at the end of the A-League season, forcing his way into the squad in what many saw as a surprise inclusion. Now, just as the World Cup started to open up, it’s over.

Aziz Behich, his club teammate at Melbourne City, didn’t hide the emotion.

"I'm gutted for him," Behich said. "I saw first-hand this year what he had to do to get back on that pitch for us at Melbourne City and then what he did in Sarasota. He left no stone unturned and it's a credit to him, it's not easy, not just physically but also mentally at his age.

"We're all gutted for him because we want him to stick around because we know what he can give us as a team and even when he's not playing."

Popovic’s Wide Options Squeezed

The rules offer no comfort. Australia cannot replace either player in the squad, leaving Tony Popovic with a thinner hand to play out wide just as the stakes rise.

Italiano’s absence bites hardest in terms of structure. His injury has already forced a reshuffle, visible in the draw with Paraguay, where regular left-back Jordy Bos was pushed over to the right and Behich came in on the left. It worked in patches, but it’s a compromise Popovic may have to lean on again.

"(Italiano) worked hard to get himself in this position and I thought he did really well in the games that he played as well," Behich said.

For Behich, the door that closed on one teammate has opened a little wider for him.

"For myself, obviously I came here to play. I put myself in this position as well, to be involved in my third World Cup. I've been biding my time. I've been working hard at training every day and just waiting for my opportunity.

"I think we're in a good headspace. Obviously, two soldiers down, but we've got a lot of boys that can cover depth and position."

Two soldiers down, then, and no reinforcements allowed. The Socceroos will stay in Oakland until July 1 before shifting to Dallas ahead of their round-of-32 clash on July 3, carrying the weight of those absences into the first true cut-throat test of their campaign.