Maty Ryan Dropped from Socceroos Squad as Popovic Embraces Youth

Maty Ryan has been dropped from the Socceroos squad altogether, with Tony Popovic swinging the axe on his captain and turning to a wave of fresh faces for Australia’s first matches since the World Cup.

The 34-year-old Levante goalkeeper, in strong form at the start of the La Liga season, is the headline omission from a squad that will face Brazil in Brisbane on 25 September and Townsville on 28 September. Instead, uncapped St Mirren keeper Jacob Chapman comes in to join World Cup starter Patrick Beach and Paul Izzo.

Ryan’s absence lands just months after his turbulent World Cup. He lost his starting spot to Beach during the tournament, then was thrown into the round-of-32 clash with Egypt solely for the penalty shootout. After the defeat, Ryan said he was only told he might replace Beach as extra time began, while Popovic has maintained that the veteran knew about the possibility before kick-off. Now, the coach has left him out entirely.

Popovic turns to the next generation

If Ryan’s omission is the shock, the sheer number of new names underlines Popovic’s intent. Seven uncapped players are in the squad as the coach tries to fast-track the next generation before the Asian Cup.

Chapman is one of them. So is untried left-back Kasey Bos, younger brother of injured star Jordan Bos, who returns for another camp. Nineteen-year-old defender Dylan Leonard is also called up, another sign that Popovic is willing to test youth in key defensive roles.

Further up the pitch, former A-League livewires Marcus Younis (Brondby IF) and Eli Adams (Gamba Osaka) receive maiden senior call-ups. Kealey Adamson (QPR) and Yaya Dukuly (NK Celje) round out the list of debutants, giving the squad a raw but intriguing edge.

Sixteen players from the 26-man World Cup group survive the cull, but there is a very different feel to this list.

Injuries, absences and a changing core

Popovic will be without some of his most reliable pieces. Star left-back Jordan Bos is sidelined with a knee injury, while central defender Cam Burgess misses out due to an achilles problem. Creative attacker Cristian Volpato is also out with a hamstring issue.

Volpato’s situation hangs over the camp for other reasons as well. The Sassuolo forward was fined last week for driving with cocaine in his system in July. He has denied wrongdoing and plans to contest the charges in court. Popovic is set to address the matter publicly for the first time in this window.

There are returns too. Riley McGree and Patrick Yazbek are back after missing the World Cup through injury, while Alex Robertson has been recalled as Popovic rebuilds his midfield options.

Some established names have been pushed aside. Cameron Devlin, Nishan Velupillay, Mathew Leckie, Ajdin Hrustic, Kai Trewin and Awer Mabil are all omitted. Domestic representation is thin: Aziz Behich stands alone as the only A-League Men player in the squad.

Brazil, the Asian Cup and the clock ticking

Popovic made his intentions clear in a statement accompanying the squad announcement.

“We are looking forward to coming together for the first time since the Fifa World Cup 2026,” he said. “We have picked a squad with an eye on the Asian Cup and an eye on the future, and it’s a great opportunity for us to continue growing as a team.

“We are also very excited to be playing at home for the first time since March in what are two crucial matches for us, against Brazil, the most successful team in Fifa World Cup history.

“We will only have two camps and four matches before we select our Asian Cup squad, so these matches are critical for us in preparation for our next major tournament.”

The message is blunt: there is no time to waste. Two camps. Four games. Then the Asian Cup squad is locked in.

Leaving out the captain, betting on a teenage defender, and throwing a clutch of uncapped forwards at Brazil is a bold way to start that countdown.

Australia squad

• Goalkeepers: Patrick Beach, Jacob Chapman*, Paul Izzo
• Defenders: Kealey Adamson*, Aziz Behich, Kasey Bos*, Alessandro Circati, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Lucas Herrington, Jacob Italiano, Dylan Leonard*, Harry Souttar
• Midfielders: Jackson Irvine, Riley McGree, Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O’Neill, Paul Okon-Engstler, Alexander Robertson, Patrick Yazbek
• Forwards: Eli Adams*, Yaya Dukuly*, Nestory Irankunda, Mohamed Toure, Tete Yengi, Marcus Younis*

*Denotes uncapped

Brazil will test every one of those decisions. The question now is whether Popovic’s gamble accelerates a new era, or leaves the Socceroos exposed when the Asian Cup arrives.