Ange Postecoglou still expects Tom Rogic to link up with the Socceroos for key World Cup qualifiers despite the midfielder suffering an ankle injury by a wild tackle in Celtic’s Scottish Premiership thumping of Ross County.
Rogic was clattered into by Kayne Ramsay just before the half hour and was replaced soon after, with Postecoglou not taking take any undue risk with the Australian ace.
The Socceroos face must-win games against Japan in Sydney on Thursday and then away to Saudi Arabia if they want to snare a direct passage to the World Cup finals in Qatar.
“Tom’s a bit sore. Hopefully it’s not too bad and now he’s away with the national team. We will see how he is,” Postecoglou said in Scottish Daily Express report.
“He got a knock on his ankle and it isn’t great but we got the ice on him at halftime and we seem to think it isn’t too bad.”
The Rogic incident was the only sour point for the Hoops on Saturday, with their “statement” 4-0 win over 10-man County putting them them six points clear of Rangers, who play on Sunday.
Giorgos Giakoumakis scored the first two goals of a successive Parkhead hat-trick with fellow attacker Daizen Maeda also on the score sheet before Staggies defender Ramsay was shown a straight red for a foul on Tom Rogic, and all this with just 28 minutes gone.
Giakoumakis rounded off the scoring with a penalty on the hour mark — he also netted three against Dundee in his previous Celtic Park appearance last month.
Celtic, unbeaten in the league since a 1-0 defeat at Livingston in September, are showing no signs of letting up with seven league games remaining and they face a trip to Ibrox after the international break.
“I don’t think our players had lost ruthlessness but it’s very easy to succumb to anxiety at this time of the year when the stakes are so high,” Postecoglou said.
“It’s important that we keep playing our football and not shy away from that.”
Asked if he would watch the Rangers game against bottom side Dundee, Postecoglou said: “My Sundays are dictated by my wife and kids mate.
“If Sing 2 (computer-animated jukebox musical comedy) is on, I’ll have to fight for the remote control.”
AAP
Get all the latest Canberra news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.
