Massimo Luongo's return to the Australian national football team has been halted due to an ankle injury, ruling him out of crucial FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan. Luongo had recently come out of international retirement to join the squad under coach Tony Popovic, but his injury, along with fellow midfielder Connor Metcalfe's leg injury, has led to the call-up of Luke Brattan and Patrick Yazbek as replacements. Australia currently sits fifth in Group C, needing a win against China on October 10 to improve their qualifying chances after a disappointing start with only one point from two matches. The qualifiers are crucial, as only the top two teams in the group will secure direct entry to the World Cup. This setback represents a significant challenge for the Socceroos as they strive to revitalize their campaign in the ongoing qualifiers.