Australia have now played three games on the road to the 2026 Fifa World Cup. They have emerged triumphant in all three games and after their 2-0 win over Lebanon, they already have one foot in the third round of Asian World Cup qualifying. But the victory over the Cedars in Sydney’s west has extracted a significant price on Graham Arnold’s side.
Riley McGree and Jordy Bos limped from the CommBank Stadium surface before the half-time whistle on Thursday, throwing into doubt their availability for Tuesday’s return fixture against Lebanon in Canberra and also their status for club sides Middlesbrough and KVC Westerlo. Two of the side’s key gamechangers and creative outlets, their absence prevented any attempts to uplift what was a largely nondescript Socceroos win.
