Touré's Absence Raises Concerns for Socceroos Ahead of Group D Opener

ALAMEDA, California — The cameras clicked, the drills began, and for 15 tightly controlled minutes the Socceroos looked settled, focused, complete.

Then you checked the forwards.

No Mohamed Touré.

On the pristine surface at the Oakland Roots and Soul facility on Wednesday evening, every outfield player Tony Popovic brought to the United States moved through their paces. All 26, bar the one striker many expected to carry Australia’s attack in Group D.

The absence stood out immediately. This is a squad still shaping its identity, and Touré has quickly become central to that picture.

Touré missing, questions piling up

Touré had been there earlier. He arrived with his teammates, posed for the team photo before the session, and then, as the real work began, disappeared from view.

When the media were ushered away after their allotted quarter of an hour, there was an assumption he might simply be inside, working individually or on a modified program. But when Jordan Bos fronted reporters, that theory fell away.

"No, I actually don't know," Bos admitted when asked where Touré was. "It was actually during training where I noticed he wasn't in there, so I don't know why he wasn't."

No explanation from the players. No visible sign of the Norwich City forward on the grass. Just a conspicuous gap where the main No. 9 should have been.

A Socceroos spokesperson later confirmed that Touré is expected to resume training on Thursday. The session will be held behind closed doors. No further detail. No word on what kept him out on Wednesday or how serious, if at all, the issue might be.

With Türkiye looming in the opening Group D fixture, that silence will only fuel the speculation.

A potential hammer blow up front

Any kind of setback for Touré would hit Australia hard. At 22, he has surged into this campaign as the man most likely to lead the line, buoyed by his form and growing stature at Norwich City.

"He's a big asset for us, he's been doing really well, and his new club, he's scoring goals and his power -- everything about him -- is great," Bos said, summing up the mood around the young striker.

Power. Goals. Presence. In tournament football, that combination is gold, and Popovic has been building a structure that leans heavily on it.

Take Touré out of that equation and the picture changes quickly.

If he cannot play against Türkiye on Saturday, the Socceroos are left with just one recognised fit centre-forward: Tete Yengi. The 25-year-old only made his international debut last weekend, coming off the bench in San Diego in the 1-1 draw with Switzerland. He marked it with a 56th-minute equaliser, a sharp finish that hinted at promise but also underlined his inexperience at this level.

From potential supporting act to leading man in a matter of days? That is the scenario Australia may be forced to confront.

Popovic’s reshuffle options

Popovic does have alternatives, though none as straightforward as simply writing Touré’s name on the team sheet and building around him.

Nestory Irankunda, electric on the wing against the Swiss, has previously been used centrally by Popovic. His raw pace and directness could stretch Türkiye’s back line, but moving him inside would also strip width from a system that relies on wide threats to open space.

Then there is Mathew Leckie, the veteran who has spent much of his career drifting between roles. For club and country, he has been pushed inside when needed, operating as a makeshift forward or second striker.

Popovic made his admiration for Leckie clear when naming the squad.

"The luxury of Mathew Leckie is that he can play anywhere," the coach said. "He has the experience and maturity that you don't need a week or two of training in a position with him. You can basically show him a video, and he would know what to do."

That versatility suddenly feels less like a bonus and more like a lifeline. If Popovic decides not to throw Yengi straight into the starting XI, Leckie becomes the most logical solution, a trusted senior figure asked to plug one of the most important holes on the pitch.

A closed session, an open question

For now, the official line is simple: Touré should be back on the grass on Thursday. No alarms, no drama.

But closed doors invite curiosity. A key striker missing a session days out from a major group opener will always set nerves on edge, especially when the explanation is kept in-house.

Australia’s plans for this tournament have been built around a young forward ready to announce himself on a bigger stage. On Wednesday in Alameda, that plan flickered.

On Thursday, behind those closed gates, the Socceroos will discover whether it holds.