Socceroos not giving up on Mooy for Asian Cup

Australia will assess Aaron Mooy’s knee injury as they retain hope the Huddersfield Town midfielder can play some part at the Asian Cup.

Mooy, 28, was ruled out of the tournament by the Premier League club on Wednesday due to a torn ligament in his right knee, which is expected to sideline him until February.

However, Football Federation Australia (FFA) is sending its high performance coordinator – senior physiotherapist, Phil Coles, to United Kingdom to assess Mooy’s injury.

An independent assessment of the injury will take place on December 21, with the Socceroos hoping they may have Mooy available in the United Arab Emirates.

“We have agreed on this plan with Huddersfield Town and know that they are doing everything they can to manage Aaron’s injury,” Socceroos coach Graham Arnold said in a statement.

“However, with such an important tournament coming up for Australia we want to explore every option available to give Aaron the chance to feature for the Socceroos in the United Arab Emirates.

“Of course, Aaron’s long-term career and fitness remains our primary concern and we will not rush him to return to match play before he is safe and confident to do so, however, we are also committed to leaving no stone unturned in our attempt to have him available for us at the tournament.”

The Socceroos are defending their Asian Cup title in January and February, facing Syria, Palestine and Jordan in Group B.