The double blow came after Rogic - in his final match for Celtic before flying out to link up with the squad in Sydney - was violently scythed down in the first half of their thumping 4-0 win over Ross County by Kayne Ramsay,who was given a straight red card for the challenge.
Rogic was subsequently forced from the field with an ankle injury and although coach Ange Postecoglou was optimistic about his prognosis,Socceroos boss Graham Arnold - who has COVID-19 himself and won’t be on the sidelines at Accor Stadium on Thursday night - will be tearing out his remaining hair follicles.
Melbourne Victory youngster Ben Folami and Blackpool midfielder Kenny Dougall have been called into the squad as replacements for Irvine and Goodwin,while Rogic’s chances of playing won’t be clear until he lands in Australia.
Arnold will be desperately hoping the 29-year-old is fit enough,particularly with so many other attacking options sidelined or unavailable - including strikers Adam Taggart and Nikita Rukavytsya,and playmakers Aaron Mooy and Riley McGree out with COVID-19 and injury respectively.
“Tom’s a bit sore. Hopefully,it’s not too bad and now he’s away with the national team. We will see how he is,” Postecoglou said post-match. “He got a knock on his ankle and it isn’t great but we got the ice on him at half-time and we seem to think it isn’t too bad.”
If Mooy,McGree and Rogic are all out,the playmaking responsibilities could fall to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ajdin Hrustic and former Olyroos star Denis Genreau,who has been consistently excellent this season for promotion-bound Toulouse in France’s second tier. Irvine’s absence almost,meanwhile,almost certainly will lead to a start at the base of midfield for James Jeggo,who plays for KAS Eupen in Belgium.