Italiano out for Socceroos: What will Popovic do?

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The Socceroos will enter their final group stage match without fullback Jacob Italiano and veteran Mathew Leckie.

After starting both of Australia’s group games, Italiano is set to miss out on the Paraguay showdown with an injury sustained during training.

Tony Popovic confirmed the news ahead of the team’s final group match on Friday 12pm (AEST).

“Jacob, unfortunately, won’t be available,” Popovic said.

“I think it’s an adductor injury. We don’t know the extent of it as yet. We’ll do some further tests in the coming days, but he won’t available for this game.”

It’s a big void to fill for Popovic given Italiano has become an automatic first choice right wing-back, but for SEN’s Archie Thompson, Jason Geria or Kai Trewin are the candidates to step in if there is a reshuffle in the mid or defensive line-up.

“I know maybe in the past he has put Trewin out on the right-hand side,” Thompson said. “We’re not used to him there, he is more central mid. That could be an option or Jason Geria on the right.

“With speed and athleticism I would go Geria. It’s a hard one; Italiano has been fantastic in that position. That is the better option.

“It will be interesting to see if Popovic rejigs the central defensive trio and we have to remember most of the back four are on yellow cards, they have been more involved than anyone the way we sit back and defend.

“They will have that one their minds though. It will be a shame if we miss one of them if we reach the knockouts.”

Leckie has been sidelined with a hamstring issue.

Should anyone already on a yellow card receive another one against Paraguay they would miss the next round, however, under FIFA’s new rules for 2026, all cards will be wiped going into the knock-out stages.

Harry Souttar, Alessandro Circati, Jordy Bos and Italiano all received yellow cards against the USA.

Australia will progress to the last 32 automatically with a win or draw against Paraguay. Even a loss could see them through but would be dependant on the best third placed ranked team criteria.

But for now the focus in camp is solely on their next game.

“They are important. I think they’re part of the puzzle that we’re always trying to fill,” Popovic said.

“And I think overall we’ve had three very good halves of football. We had one bad half of football and we got punished for that. And that’s the World Cup and that’s the detail of the World Cup.

“They play an important part like so many relationships that we are trying to build on the field.”