Mohamed Touré's Absence Raises Questions for Socceroos Ahead of Group D Clash

ALAMEDA, California — The cameras clicked, the drills began, and the Socceroos moved through their paces on a cool evening at the Oakland Roots and Soul facility. For 15 minutes, everything looked routine.

Except for the missing No. 9.

Mohamed Touré, the 22-year-old Norwich City forward widely tipped to spearhead Australia’s attack in Group D, was nowhere to be seen in the portion of training open to the media on Wednesday. Every other member of Tony Popovic’s 26-man squad took part. Touré did not.

His absence was impossible to ignore. So were the questions that followed.

A striker missing, and few answers

Jordan Bos was one of the first players put in front of reporters after the session. Even he sounded caught off guard when asked where his teammate had gone.

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

By then, observers had already been ushered away. Whatever happened with Touré, it happened out of view.

A Socceroos spokesperson later confirmed that Touré is expected back on the training pitch on Thursday, but stopped short of explaining why he had not taken part in Wednesday’s work. No detail on injury, illness, or precaution. Just a projected return date and a closed session.

The forward had arrived at the facility with the rest of the squad and took part in a team photo before training began. Then, just days out from Australia’s opening Group D clash with Türkiye, he vanished from the footballing picture.

The timing could hardly be more delicate.

A potential blow to Australia’s plans

Any absence for Touré, even a short one, hits at the heart of Australia’s attacking blueprint for this campaign. Popovic has built much of his forward plan around the power and direct threat of the Norwich City man.

"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, underlining just how central Touré has become.

Strip that out, even temporarily, and the Socceroos’ depth up front starts to look thin.

If Touré cannot feature against Türkiye on Saturday, Tete Yengi suddenly stands as the only recognised fit striker in the squad. The 25-year-old only made his international debut last weekend in San Diego, coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw with Switzerland and grabbing a 56th-minute equaliser. It was an encouraging start, but it was also his first step at this level.

Trusting him to lead the line from the outset in a major group opener would be a bold call.

Popovic’s reshuffle options

If Popovic decides Yengi is not yet ready to start such a pivotal match, the whiteboard starts to get creative.

Nestory Irankunda is one option. The teenager played wide against the Swiss, stretching the game on the flank, but Popovic has previously used him through the middle. His pace and unpredictability could unsettle Türkiye’s back line, though it would represent a significant tactical tweak.

Then there is Mathew Leckie, the veteran who has spent much of his career drifting between positions. Winger by trade, auxiliary striker by necessity. Popovic made his admiration clear when he named the squad.

"The luxury of Mathew Leckie is that he can play anywhere. 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."

Leckie’s versatility suddenly looks less like a bonus and more like a potential lifeline. If Touré sits out and Yengi remains an impact option off the bench, the Melbourne City man may well be the one asked to absorb the pressure and knit the attack together from the start.

Closed doors, open questions

For now, the official line is simple: Touré is expected back in training on Thursday, behind closed doors. No cameras, no 15-minute window, no running commentary.

Inside that privacy, Popovic and his staff will get the answers they need. Is their first-choice striker ready to lead the line against Türkiye, or will Australia walk into their Group D opener with a reshuffled attack and a very different look than planned?

On Wednesday in Alameda, the drills went on, the passes zipped across the turf, and the session ended like any other. But the empty space where Mohamed Touré should have been told its own story.

How decisive that absence proves to be will become clear only when the teams walk out for the real thing.