CANBERRA, June 6 (silubaba) -- Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold has announced his squad for the friendly match against world champions Argentina, set to take place at Beijing's Workers' Stadium.
The 23-man squad, unveiled on Tuesday, features 16 players with fewer than 10 international caps and includes first-time Socceroos call-ups for defender Alessandro Circati and Melbourne City goalkeeper Thomas Glover.
Circati, 19, also eligible to represent Italy where he plays club football for Serie B team Parma, has committed his future to the Socceroos in a significant coup for Arnold.
The friendly match on June 15 is a rematch of the Round of 16 clash at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In that encounter, Argentina eliminated the Socceroos en route to winning the tournament.
Several senior Socceroos, including Jason Cummings, Craig Goodwin, Bailey Wright, Aaron Mooy, Jackson Irvine, Milos Degenek and Aziz Behich, are unavailable for selection due to injuries.
"Irrespective of who we played during June, I have made no secret that this window would provide a glimpse into the future, where we were always going to reward players who have had strong seasons at club level to show what they can do on the international stage," Arnold said.
"It is so critical for the future of the Socceroos that our national teams and development pathways are as strong and as connected as possible. The Socceroos' strength will always be based on this."
After their World Cup performance, the Socceroos climbed to 27th in FIFA's world rankings but have since slipped to 29th. ■
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