Written by Rhea Alison, Sports reporter, covering international sports since 2020
Australia's World Cup preparations suffered an unexpected setback this week after striker Mo Touré missed training in Oakland just three days before the Socceroos' opening Group D match against Turkey. The 22-year-old forward attended the team photo session but did not take part in Wednesday's training, creating concern around Australia's already limited attacking depth ahead of Saturday's important fixture.
Touré Expected Back Despite Training Absence
Team officials indicated that Touré is expected to return to training on Thursday, easing fears that the Norwich City striker could miss the World Cup opener. Touré is widely expected to lead Australia's attack after an impressive Championship campaign in England where he scored nine goals in 11 league appearances.
Defender Milos Degenek appeared unconcerned by the situation.
"You’ll see him tomorrow," he said. "I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to speak to you guys."
Fullback Jordy Bos also stressed Touré's value to the squad.
"We have other players as well that can also play striker, but to have Mo is really nice for us," he said.
Injury History Remains a Talking Point
Touré has battled muscle and groin injuries throughout his career. Speaking recently, he explained the changes he has made to avoid repeat setbacks.
"When I went to Europe, some of those injuries followed along and I re-injured them and re-injured them," he said. "I feel like I had to do something, and I had to change something or they would have [kept] occurring, recurring."
With Australia facing Turkey in their World Cup opener, keeping Touré fit could prove vital. If unavailable, Tony Popovic may need to rely on Tete Yengi or convert attacking midfielders into a central striking role.
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