Wonderkid Nestroy Irankunda has been dropped by Tony Popovic for crucial World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
The 18-year-old, who is currently playing for German giants Bayern Munich, recently made his debut for the national team, but Western Sydney Wanderers forward Brandon Borrello has been picked over the young star.
It is one of the bigger calls in yet another intriguing squad selection by Popovic, with three players brought in to make their debuts for the national team.
19-year-old Hayden Matthews has been selected at the back, with the young defender only beginning his professional career at Sydney FC last season; he is joined by fellow Sydney midfielder Anthony Caceres.
Max Balard has also been picked in the middle of the park, with the former Central Coast Mariners star currently impressing heavily in the Dutch Eredivisie with NAC Breda; local media have dubbed him the 'Australian Kante' after the workhorse French midfielder N'golo Kante.
"We’re in the early stages of this journey as a group and we’ll continue to implement the style of play that will be the foundation of our success throughout this cycle," Popovic said in a statement.
A slew of returning players also feature, with Kusini Yengi, Milos Degenek and Rhyan Grant all returning to the fold after time away from the Socceroos set up.
MORE: Socceroos World Cup qualifying fixtures, results, standings
Full 26-man Socceroos squad for World Cup qualifiers
| Position | Player | Club (Country) | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Maty Ryan | Roma (Italy) | 95 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper | Joe Gauci | Aston Villa (England) | 5 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper | Paul Izzo | Randers (Denmark) | 0 | 0 |
| Defender | Aziz Behich | Melbourne City | 76 | 2 |
| Defender | Jordy Bos | Westerlo (Belgium) | 18 | 1 |
| Defender | Cameron Burgess | Ipswich Town (England) | 12 | 0 |
| Defender | Milos Degenek | Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) | 45 | 1 |
| Defender | Jason Geria | Melbourne Victory | 4 | 0 |
| Defender | Rhyan Grant | Sydney FC | 21 | 1 |
| Defender | Hayden Matthews | Sydney FC | 0 | 0 |
| Defender | Lewis Miller | Hibernian (Scotland) | 9 | 1 |
| Defender | Kye Rowles | Hearts (Scotland) | 24 | 1 |
| Defender | Harry Souttar | Sheffield United (England) | 35 | 11 |
| Midfielder | Max Balard | NAC Breda (Netherlands) | 0 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Anthony Caceres | Sydney FC | 1 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Ajdin Hrustic | Salernitana (Italy) | 30 | 3 |
| Midfielder | Jackson Irvine | St Pauli (Germany) | 75 | 11 |
| Midfielder | Riley McGree | Middlesbrough (England) | 28 | 1 |
| Midfielder | Aiden O'Neill | Standard Liege (Belgium) | 16 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Patrick Yazbek | Nashville SC (USA) | 2 | 0 |
| Forward | Brandon Borrello | Western Sydney Wanderers | 12 | 2 |
| Forward | Martin Boyle | Hibernian (Scotland) | 30 | 9 |
| Forward | Mitch Duke | Machida Zelvia (Japan) | 45 | 12 |
| Forward | Craig Goodwin | Al Wehda (Saudi Arabia) | 29 | 6 |
| Forward | Nishan Velupillay | Melbourne Victory | 3 | 1 |
| Forward | Kusini Yengi | Portsmouth (England) | 10 | 4 |
What time are Socceroos World Cup qualifiers?
The first and most important qualifier of the window was played on Thursday, November 14 in Melbourne against Saudi Arabia. It finished a 0-0 draw.
The next game will take place in Bahrain on November 20 at 5:15 a.m. AEDT.
