Adam Taggart, Alessandro Circati and Cameron Brugess named in Socceroos squad to face Bahrain and Indonesia

Three West Australian products will fly to Queensland next week as the Socceroos begin what they hope will be their final qualifying phase before the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Perth Glory captain Adam Taggart, emerging centre-back Alessandro Circati, and Ipswich Town defender Cameron Burgess have all been named in Graham Arnold’s squad for the opening games of the third round of Asian qualifiers. The Socceroos face Bahrain on the Gold Coast next Thursday, before travelling to Jakarta to face Indonesia the following Tuesday. The two games mark the start of the third phase of qualifying, and if Australia finish in the top two of a group which also features Japan, Saudi Arabia and China, they will qualify for the next World Cup, to be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico in less than two years’ time. Taggart retains his spot in the side after scoring against Palestine at HBF Park back in June as the Glory forward looks to replicate his excellent domestic season last year at international level. Circati earned rave reviews from Arnold following his performance against Palestine, and after helping Parma earn Serie A promotion last season, the 20 year-old has taken to one of Europe’s toughest leagues like a duck to water. The Perth SC junior played 90 minutes back-to-back against Fiorentina and AC Milan, helping his side to an impressive victory over the latter. Burgess is yet to make his English Premier League debut for Ipswich Town, but has been an unused substitute in their first two games, losses to Liverpool and Manchester City. Bayern Munich wunderkind Nestory Irankunda has been named despite a training ground injury, while Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe have been named in the side after making their Bundesliga debuts with St. Pauli. Craig Goodwin has also returned to the squad after a strong start to the season in Saudi Arabia, while Harry Souttar’s return to game-time at Sheffield United has been welcomed with open arms by Arnold.