Portsmouth striker earns international recall - but Middlesbrough loanee team-mate snubbed for important World Cup qualifiers
Pompey striker Kusini Yengi has received an automatic call-up to the Australia international squad after missing their past three games through suspension.
But there’s no room for Blues team-mate Sammy Silvera in Socceroos boss Tony Popovic’s latest get-together as he’s been overlooked for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
The omission of the on-loan Middlesbrough winger will not come as a surprise given his current form.
The 24-year-old has yet to record a goal or an assist in his 10 Pompey games to date this season. Meanwhile, Silvera’s last Blues start came against Sheffield United on September 28 - eight games ago - with the forward not even making the match-day squad on occasions in between. He was also forced to watch from the stands the Socceroos’ past two games against China and Japan respectively in October - despite being named in the overall squad for both World Cup qualifiers.
Yengi’s inclusion, though, will perhaps raise a few eyebrows - especially among the Fratton faithful. He’s started both of Pompey’s past two games and is finally getting much-needed match minutes into his legs after a stop-start beginning to the season because of injury.
However, his recent displays have been criticised by sections of the PO4 fanbase, which has forced head coach John Mousinho to defend his striker.
Like Silvera, Yengi is yet to register a goal or assist for Pompey this season as they struggle to adapt to the step-up to the Championship. In fact, the 25-year-old’s last competitive goal for the club was back on April 20, when he scored in the 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wigan.
The striker has scored three goals for his country since then. But that run of form came to a halt after he was shown a straight red card in Australia’s goalless draw with Bahrain in September.
The Socceroos are unbeaten since then, beating China and drawing against Indonesia and Japan in the three games Yengi has been suspended. They’ve scored four goals in that period as well.
Australia host Saudi Arabia on November 14, before travelling to Bahrain on November 19.