Ange Posteoglou says the importance of Celtic’ s trip to Australia means none of his Scotland stars will be joining Steve Clarke’s squad for Turkey.
The Parkhead club are heading Down Under next week for the Sydney Super Cup and games against locals Sydney FC and English Premier League Everton. A week tonight, Scotland face Turkey in a friendly international in Diyarbakir. Clarke will announce his squad for that match today, but Parkhead aces such as Greg Taylor, Anthony Ralston and David Turnbull won’t be included. Postecoglou explained: “From our perspective, the Australian trip is an important part of our football club and we want to take our strongest possible team there.
“We will always be supportive of the national team and Steve Clarke has always been great with us in terms of his relationship with the club. But all of our players who won’t be going to the World Cup will be coming with us.
“We’re obviously taking a team to Australia. People have bought tickets and want to see the best possible Celtic side. Obviously, we can’t take the players who are going to the World Cup, but we have obligations there to the people who have spent the money that we go there with the strongest possible team and that’s what we’ll be doing.”
Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate will also be in Australia having been omitted from Japan’s World Cup. The striker was denied a Qatar reprieve after coach Hajime Moriyasu opted to add a different attacker in Shuto Machino after a call off from Huddersfield defender Yuta Nakayama.
Postecoglou feels both left-out Celts had good claims to join Daizen Maeda and said: “In my mind both have the credentials to be there. But I’ve been a national team manager and they are not easy decisions to make sometimes.
“You take in the balance of the whole squad and the manager is the one who’s got that responsibility. He’ll carry the can for those decisions.
“I look at it from working with both guys. If they were selected I’ve got no doubt they could make an impact.”
Matt O’Riley is also still waiting on final confirmation from Denmark after boss Kasper Hjulmand named an initial 21 individuals and left five spots available. Postecoglou, who revealed James McCarthy is out until the Qatar break with a hamstring tweak, said: “I don’t think Matt had to focus on that.
“He knows that playing his football for us and playing well will get him closer to that goal. That Denmark team is a very strong and settled side. Whilst it would be disappointing for Matt if he missed out. I think the way he’s going, and if keeps developing, his time will come.
“He’s fortunate that he’s at an age where he’s still got a couple of World Cup cycles to come. If it happens then great, if not he’ll continue as he has been.”
Aaron Mooy will be going to Qatar after getting the nod from Australia and Postecoglou added: “I think it was important for him. He’s grown into the season.
“Certainly in terms of fitness, he’s close to where he wants to be, his performances have improved and he’s made of an impact. That’s the way you want to go to a World Cup. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it and will really test himself. More importantly, for us, I’m sure he’ll come back looking forward to making a bigger impact in the second half of the season.”
Aussie coach Graham Arnold named seven Scots-based stars and Postecoglou said: “It’s great for the players themselves and it’s also great for the Premiership to have so many players representing the league in a men’s World Cup.”
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