Tom Rogic will be spared international duty on Tuesday when Australia face Lebanon in a friendly.
The Celtic midfielder played the full 90 minutes of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with South Korea but with concerns over a knee injury he won’t be involved on Tuesday.
It must be doubtful whether Rogic will play on Hamilton’s plastic pitch on Saturday with Brendan Rodgers having a European tie and cup final to consider in the two matches that follow the trip to New Douglas Park.
“There is a short turnaround to Tuesday’s match against Lebanon so Tom [Rogic] and Robbie [Kruse], who both performed well on Saturday evening but have minor knee and groin injuries respectively, won’t be risked,” Australia manager Graham Arnold told Fox Sports.
Matching club and international commitments is increasingly difficult with a conflict on the horizon over Rogic.
Australia will take part in the Asian Cup in the UAE which starts on January 5 and runs through until February 1.
If Australia reach the final it could mean that Rogic misses out on five Celtic fixtures with both parties likely to be discussing what is in the players’ best interest.