Hayden Matthews has been ruled out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a devastating injury during the Socceroos' pre-tournament training camp in Sarasota, Florida.
Sources have told ESPN the injury was not considered serious, but would sideline the 21-year-old central defender for four to six weeks, ending his hopes of forcing his way into Tony Popovic's final 26-man squad.
Matthews' departure from the Socceroos' warm-up camp was confirmed on Wednesday, with the defender set to return to England for treatment with Championship side Portsmouth, where he has played since departing Sydney FC in January 2025.
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It marks another cruel setback for one of Australia's brightest young defenders after injuries disrupted much of his first 18 months in English football.
Matthews made an immediate impression after breaking into Portsmouth's side on arrival, but an ankle problem ruled him out for the final two months of last season. The 6-foot-5, ball-playing defender made nine Championship starts during the 2025-26 campaign, including the final two matches of the season, with the performances enough to earn him a place in Australia's extended squad in Florida ahead of the June 1 squad deadline.
While Matthews has left, former Western United centre back Dylan Leonard is among 12 players including stalwarts Jackson Irvine, Jordy Bos and Martin Boyle that have been added to the Socceroos' train-on squad.
Leonard made his debut for Schalke 04 in the 2.Bundesliga last month after joining the German club following the hibernation of A-League outfit Western United. The teen has been playing as a defensive midfielder after featuring as a centre back in the A-League.
Midfield stalwart Aiden O'Neill also joins the training squad despite suffering an ankle injury when playing for MLS club New York City FC on May 3. O'Neill has been a consistent starter in recent international windows.
Cammy Devlin, yet to play under coach Popovic, also heads into camp after he and his club Hearts fell devastatingly short to Celtic on the weekend in the match that decided the Scottish Premiership.
Irvine and Metcalfe join the Socceroos after their own heartbreak with St. Pauli getting relegated from the Bundesliga on the weekend.
Popovic now has 30 players at the training camp in Sarasota, Florida, ahead of the World Cup which starts on June 12, with players drip-fed in as their respective club seasons finish.
A final 26-man squad must be selected by June 1 ahead of Australia's group matches against Türkiye, the United States and Paraguay.
Head here a full rundown of the Socceroos' World Cup training camp in Florida. Information from AAP was used in this report.