Australia kick off their run to the 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, by playing Bangladesh at Melbourne's AAMI Park on Thursday, then Palestine in Kuwait five days later.
But Hibernian's Boyle, who missed last year's World Cup with a torn right ACL, will only be available for the latter game due to swelling on that knee.
"He obviously had the ACL injury last year," coach Graham Arnold said.Â
"He's had a bit of swelling over the last couple of weeks and he didn't play last Wednesday, played Sunday, pulled up well.
"But I decided - after speaking to the medical staff for their clubs, they were a little bit concerned - that he wouldn't fly out to Australia.Â
"But he will be in Kuwait for the Palestine game."
When asked whether Boyle would be fit for Tuesday night, Arnold said "100 per cent.Â
"It was just mainly down to obviously the fact that it was on the knee that he had the ACL, the swelling and the long flight that could have made his knee swell up again.Â
"So with the communication between my medical staff and their medical staff, the best thing to do was to leave him over in Scotland.Â
"He's training, I spoke to (Hibs coach) Nick Montgomery and he trained for four days with Hibs and he'll join us soon as we get across to Kuwait."
Sounds of training 🔊🥅⚽�🧤— Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) 🇦🇺 v 🇧🇩 - 16.11.23 - 8:00pm AEDT�� https://t.co/EoWk1ZZ69b📱💻📺 Live on Channel 10, Paramount+, 10 Play#AUSvBAN #Socceroos pic.twitter.com/3UIrHinzRDNovember 14, 2023
Arnold will put out his strongest available starting line-up against Bangladesh.
Whether he opts to directly replace winger Boyle or play two strikers, like Mitch Duke and potential debutant Kusini Yengi, is unclear.
"It gives me a different option," Arnold said of Yengi.Â
"Because you can play with two No.9s, two big No.9s and I do think we will have the height factor that if we get some good delivery in the box that we've got two big strikers and that's important.Â
"We can play a different way."
Arnold's charges will likely have far more possession on Thursday than in recent friendlies against Argentina, England, Mexico and Ecuador.
"What I said to (the players) yesterday, and I'm being honest with them, is that technically we're probably better and physically we're better," he said.
"It's about the mentality and the mindset of going into this game and showing everyone what our skills are and what we've got.Â
"There's going to be plenty of times where we get in one-on-one positions and situations and I want to see them go for it and be positive and and get men in the box to score goals."
Arnold will take the outright record for most 'A' internationals as Socceroos coach when he steps into the technical area for the 59th time on Thursday.
6°C