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Suspended Socceroo Matthew Spiranovic has backed teammate Alex Wilkinson to fill his role in defence for Thursday night’s Asian Cup quarter-final.
Spiranovic earned an automatic one-match ban when he picked up his second yellow card for the tournament in Saturday night’s 1-0 loss to South Korea in sweltering conditions at Suncorp Stadium.
The Western Sydney Wanderers stopper clattered into South Korea’s Lee Jeong-Yeop in the 79th minute and will now miss the Socceroos’ sudden-death clash with China.
Coach Ange Postecoglou said Wilkinson will slot straight into the back four alongside his former Central Coast Mariners teammate Trent Sainsbury, and Spiranovic believes the team will be in safe hands.
“That’s been the focus over the whole tournament,” Spiranovic said.
“The boys that have come in have done the job and I’m sure that Wilko will be no different – or whoever plays in the next game.
“He’s got a lot of experience in Asia so I’m sure we’ll be okay.”
Spiranovic and Sainsbury started together in all three of Australia’s Asian Cup games so far.
Spiranovic said he did not believe his foul warranted a caution from referee Nawaf Shukralla, who showed five yellow cards on the night.
“I thought it was pretty soft, but that’s the referee’s decision,” he said.
“From a personal point of view, it is disappointing.
“But that’s football and I’m sure the boys will do the job in the next game and get us to the semis.”
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