Socceroos coach Tony Popovic provides Jackson Irvine and Harry Souttar updates, reveals Cristian Volpato talks

Amid a raft of pre-World Cup injuries, Socceroos coach Tony Popovic is taking comfort from timely fitness boosts regarding key players Jackson Irvine and Harry Souttar. With the injury bug biting at the worst time, Popovic is set to cast his net wide as he looks to fine-tune preparations and run the rule over his potential squad three months out from the World Cup in North America. And among the players who could potentially make a late run for the World Cup is Cristian Volpato after Popovic revealed he has spoken to the former Italian youth international about representing the country of his birth. Australia will host Cameroon in Sydney and fellow World Cup side Curacao in Melbourne late this month in their final hit-out on home soil before the tournament begins. Popovic hoped the Socceroos will be boosted by the availability of veteran midfielder Irvine, who has overcome a persistent foot injury in recent months to help German Bundesliga side St. Pauli move out of the relegation zone. After St. Pauli ruled their 33 year-old captain out “until further notice” in January, Popovic revealed he feared the worst for Irvine’s World Cup hopes — a feeling which continued into February. “It will be an ongoing issue, the foot that he’ll have to manage in the short-term, and we’ll have to see whether that can be managed all the way through to the World Cup,” Popovic said. “He’s a wonderful player and leader, which he’s showing for his club side at the moment, and we’d love to have him at the World Cup but we also know with that injury that it can turn quickly. “He’s experienced so he knows how to manage his body, and he’s doing a really good job at that. It’s basically day-by-day, week-by-week. “In January, I thought he was out of the World Cup — last month, I still thought the same and now we’re at this stage, getting to March, and he’s fit, healthy, playing really well.” Souttar was one of the heroes of Australia’s run to the round of 16 at the last World Cup, but the giant defender has not played since rupturing his Achilles in December 2024. The Leicester City centre-back also underwent a recent procedure on his knee which has prolongs his comeback, but Popovic said there were promising signs. “He had a knee injury, a clean-out on his knee. They’re not long, but it’s four to six weeks that you need the recovery time so that was a bit of a setback for him, because he was progressing well,” Popovic said. “He’s back training with the team now. I believe it’s his second week now that he’s full-contact, full-training.” A wave of injuries has hurt Socceroos World Cup hopefuls in recent months; defender Lewis Miller will miss the tournament with a torn Achilles, while starting striker Mo Toure recently suffered a groin injury for new club Norwich, and fringe forwards Nicholas D’Agostino and Kusini Yengi are set for mid-term lay-offs with knee and quad issues. Someone who could potentially feature in the upcoming March window is 22-year-old winger Volpato, the Sydney boy who famously broke onto the scene as a teenager at Roma but turned down a Socceroos call-up at the last World Cup, having previously played for Italy’s under-19 side. While he has only played 12 minutes of Serie A games for Sassuolo since the start of the year, he featured prominently for them before Christmas and Popovic confirmed he and assistant Paul Okon had spoken to Volpato. “Nothing has changed from us — we’re not selling the shirt. What’s probably changed is Paulo has been in touch with him regularly since October,” Popovic said. “On this occasion, he indicated that he’d be interested in a discussion about playing for Australia and once he indicated that to Paulo, I was in Europe, and we both went over to see him, have a chat to him. “There were no ultimatums or any pressure. It was a discussion and if he wants to play for Australia, whether that’s in three months, six months, a year...they’re young men, you have to respect the decisions they have to make.”