Graham Arnold admits several Socceroo stars needed a break after Dundee United ace Aziz Behich missed out on the latest Australia squad.
Aussie boss Arnold has named a youthful, experimental group for this month’s glamour friendly against World champions, Argentina.
Hearts trio Nathaniel Atkinson, Kye Rowles and Cammy Devlin are among those who will travel to Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium in China for the showdown. St Mirren’s pair Ryan Strain and Keanu Baccus also make the trip.
But Arnold has acknowledged that knocks, niggles and fatigue were at the forefront of his mind following a gruelling domestic campaign and winter World Cup.
Behich, who did not undertake a full pre-season due to joining the Tangerines when competitive action had already begun, played 36 times for United and every minute for Australia at the finals in Qatar.
Addressing the omission of several key men, including Behich, Arnold said: “They’re purely injured, the lot of them.
“You’ve got to look at the program they’ve had over the last 12 months. There’s been a World Cup — a heavy World Cup — then straight back to club land, playing a lot of football.
“I expected this would happen; that they needed a break. All of them are legitimately injured but not badly injured. They’ve all got legitimate injuries.”
Non-stop
Discussing the exertions of international football after returning from a March friendly against Ecuador, Behich noted: “For us Australian internationals, it’s not easy with the travel.
“It’s been a long year for myself — non-stop. But I’m doing what I can to help the team and I’ll always put the team first.”
Behich joins ex-Dundee man Jason Cummings, Milos Degenek, Craig Goodwin, Jackson Irvine, Aaron Mooy and Bailey Wright among the absentees.
Arnold added: “It’s a younger squad but I’m also looking with one eye on the World Cup in 2026 and getting players ready for that.
“I don’t believe there’s a better way to test them out than against the world champions.”
The contest is a rematch of the World Cup last-16 clash, with Argentina emerging as 2-1 winners on their way to lifting the trophy.
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