The German club Saint Pauli announced that Jackson Irvin, captain of the Australian national team and team midfielder, underwent a successful surgery in his left foot in London, and will move away from the stadiums for several months, which will deprive him of participating with his country in the upcoming confrontations in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
An effective absence from the decisive qualifiers
The absence of Irvin, 32, represents a strong blow to the Australian team, which is preparing for two decisive matches next June in the third round of the qualifiers, the first against Japan in the city of Perth, and the second against the Saudi national team in the city of Jeddah.
Irvin is one of the main pillars of the national team, as it has great international experience after participating in 78 games and scoring 14 international goals.
Distinguished performance in the last international pause
Irvin was a prominent star during the last international stop, where he scored three goals in two games; Two goals against Indonesia and a goal against China, which made it the focus of attention of the technical staff and Australian fans.
The player showed a high level of discipline and technical influence, making his absence a major challenge to Australia’s technical staff led by coach Tony Popovic.
The coach’s comment on the injury
For his part, Bubovic said, in his comment on the player’s injury: “Yes, it is a painful blow for sure, as Jackson was in excellent condition during the last period, whether with the national team or his club Saint Pauli. But after the operation, I spoke to him and found him optimistic.
Preparations to confront Japan and Saudi Arabia
In light of these developments, the Australian Football Association announced the establishment of a training camp in Abu Dhabi, starting on May 20, in preparation for the two decisive matches.
Coach Popovic plans to summon a group of young players to give them the opportunity to prove self during the camp before settling on the final list.
Expected alternatives and experience new elements
Despite the difficulty of compensating a player with Jackson Irvin’s experience, the Australian technical team seeks to exploit the camp in assessing possible alternatives in the midfield, whether from local elements or professionals in European and Asian leagues.
It is worth noting that Bubovic’s goal is to maintain technical balance and competitiveness during the two most difficult stations in the qualifying journey.
