Tony Popovic has named his first ever squad as coach of the Socceroos ahead of important World Cup qualifiers.
Overall, there are nine new faces in the side as the Socceroos look to begin a new era under new leadership.
Ajdin Hrustic, Gianni Stensness and Jordy Bos are all returning to the side after missing the last international window whilst Nishan Velupillay, who broke through at the Melbourne Victory under Popovic, is in line to make his international debut.
Popovic has also selected Daniel Arzani and Jason Geria, who he also coached at the Victory for three seasons.
"We’re at the beginning of an exciting journey, and it's an honour to lead this group of players," Popovic said in a statement.
"I’m eager to welcome both the players and new staff into camp as we come together for the first time. This October window offers a great opportunity to showcase a vast improvement, both in our desire and in the quality of our play."
The Socceroos sit on just one point after two matches in the third round of AFC World Cup qualifiers after a shock defeat against Bahrain and a poor draw against Indonesia.
It's a tough start to life for Popovic as coach, with a home game against China in Adelaide and a trip to Japan to come in this international window.
MORE: Socceroos defeat China in Tony Popovic's debut
Socceroos squad for World Cup qualifiers vs China and Japan
| Position | Player | Club | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Joe Gauci | Aston Villa (England) | 5 |
| Goalkeeper | Paul Izzo | Randers (Denmark) | 0 |
| Goalkeeper | Mat Ryan | Roma (Italy) | 95 |
| Defender | Aziz Behich | Melbourne City | 74 |
| Defender | Harry Souttar | Sheffield United (England) | 33 |
| Defender | Kye Rowles | Hearts (Scotland) | 24 |
| Defender | Jordy Bos | Westerloo (Belgium) | 16 |
| Defender | Cameron Burgess | Ipswich Town (England) | 10 |
| Defender | Lewis Miller | Hibernian (Scotland) | 7 |
| Defender | Thomas Deng | Albirex Niigata (Japan) | 5 |
| Defender | Gianni Stensness | Viking (Norway) | 2 |
| Defender | Jason Geria | Melbourne Victory | 2 |
| Midfielder | Jackson Irvine | St. Pauli (Germany) | 73 |
| Midfielder | Luke Brattan | Macarthur FC | 0 |
| Midfielder | Ajdin Hrustic | Salernitana (Italy) | 28 |
| Midfielder | Riley McGree | Middlesbrough (England) | 26 |
| Midfielder | Patrick Yazbek | Nashville SC (USA) | 1 |
| Midfielder | Keanu Baccus | Mansfield Town (England) | 20 |
| Midfielder | Aiden O'Neill | Standard Liege (Belgium) | 15 |
| Forward | Mitch Duke | Machida Zelvia (Japan) | 43 |
| Forward | Craig Goodwin | Al-Wehda (Saudi Arabia) | 28 |
| Forward | Daniel Arzani | Melbourne Victory | 7 |
| Forward | Sam Silvera | Portsmouth (England) | 7 |
| Forward | Nestory Irankunda | Bayern Munich (Germany) | 5 |
| Forward | Apostolos Stamatelopoulos | Motherwell (Scotland) | 1 |
| Forward | Nishan Velupillay | Melbourne Victory | 1 |
When are Australia's World Cup qualifiers vs China and Japan?
The first qualifier of the window came against China, where the Socceroos secured a nervy but important 3-1 win.
The Socceroos then jet off to Saitama to face Japan on Tuesday, October 15th.
