The Socceroos have been dealt another injury blow ahead of January's Asian Cup, with Melbourne City star Mathew Leckie suffering a hamstring tear.
It follows confirmation that forward Brandon Borrello will miss the tournament, with goalkeeper Maty Ryan also in doubt.
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Will Mathew Leckie miss the Asian Cup through injury?
Leckie is expected to be sidelined for the next four to six weeks, according to a Melbourne City statement on Friday morning.
The 32-year-old suffered the injury in the second half of City's AFC Champions League match against Zhejiang Professional FC on Tuesday, departing the field in the 61st minute.
Scans have now revealed a tear to his right hamstring.
This comes at a frustrating time from a national team perspective, with the Asian Cup starting in the New Year on January 12.
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold will have to decide whether or not to include Leckie in his squad for Qatar, and potentially introduce the experienced forward into the fold later in the tournament.
This is, of course, a risky decision, but could give Australia a significant boost should they reach the knockout phase.
Leckie's injury also rules him out of several important A-League fixtures, including next week's Melbourne Derby.
Who will replace Mathew Leckie?
Leckie typically features on the wing but has also played stints in midfield and as a striker.
Fortunately for the Socceroos, they have solid depth when it comes to wide players.
Craig Goodwin, Sam Silvera and Martin Boyle are the leading candidates to fill Leckie's role, while the likes of Connor Metcalfe and Awer Mabil could also find themselves in that position.
Riley McGree is another strong option, but is still recovering from injury and is in doubt for the tournament.
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At club level, Melbourne City have a few options, with Marin Jakolis and Léo Natel the most natural direct replacements.
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