SYDNEY: Australia coach Tony Popovic has offered three uncapped players and experienced winger Awer Mabil the chance to pitch for a trip to the World Cup by including them in his squad for two friendlies later this month.
Central defender Lucas Herrington, Croatian-born forward Ante Suto and Deni Juric, the younger brother of former Socceroos striker Tomi, were all included in the 26-man squad named on Thursday.
The Socceroos face Cameroon in Sydney on March 27 and Curacao in Melbourne four days later in their final home matches before the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Spain-based Mabil, who has scored nine goals in 35 matches for his country, earned his first international call-up since September 2024.
“These are our last matches before our World Cup pre-camp, and we have considered a variety of factors in selecting this squad,” Popovic said in a news release.
“For many this camp is another opportunity to represent the Socceroos. However, we have also included new faces, as this is our final chance to see players first-hand before our World Cup camp.”
Regular central midfielder Jackson Irvine, who has been managing a foot injury at Bundesliga club St Pauli, was not included in the squad.
Australia open their sixth straight World Cup finals campaign against a European playoff winner in Vancouver on June 13 and also play co-hosts the United States and Paraguay in their opening-round group.
