Australia boss Tony Popovic has claimed that Sunderland midfielder Nectar Triantis has dropped out of the Socceroos’ latest squad because he has “a lot on his mind” amid ongoing speculation surrounding his future.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a stellar campaign with Scottish Premiership outfit Hibernian this term, and has subsequently played his way into Popovic’s plans in recent months.
Indeed, Triantis has impressed so much in Scotland that there has already been widespread speculation over his future, with reports last week suggesting that Hibs have approached Sunderland over the prospect of a permanent transfer – while German side St. Pauli are also said to be monitoring the player’s situation.
Why has Nectar Triantis dropped out of Australia’s squad?
It is within this context that Popovic has opened up on why Triantis took the decision to sit out Australia’s upcoming World Cup qualification double header against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Speaking in a press conference, the national boss said: “I’m not too sure where it exactly sits. But we had him in the squad for the camp, and on the day that he was supposed to travel, he informed us that he’s not coming in. He just said he’s got a lot of things on at the moment, a lot on his mind in terms of what he wants to do. We have to respect that, and we’ll see what happens.”
What has been said about Nectar Triantis’ future?
Speaking recently, Hibernian sporting director Malky Mackay said: “You know, Nectar has done terrifically well at the football club. He came in as a centre-back for six months last season, and David looked at him near the end of the season and put him in midfield for a couple of games.
“We had a conversation over the summer about it, about maybe where Hibs’ failings had been. Certainly as a Ross County manager, playing against them, I thought they were a really good football team. But maybe at times they had a soft underbelly.
“It was something that I felt, certainly on the counter-attack, we needed to make sure we solidified that area. And we felt in the summer, David and myself, that Nectar could be the guy who could come back and actually hold down that central midfield position as somebody who can break up play and still be able to pass the ball.
“He’s had a terrific season, he’s been called up for two countries now, I believe. He’s been called up for Greece and Australia. He’s a Sunderland player and that at the end of the day is what he is. He has attracted a lot of attention; he’s up for Player of the Year. We love him – but unfortunately he’s not our player. So we’ll certainly be talking to and Sunderland over the next period.
“We’ve talked to them, we’ve been talking to them, but ultimately that’s not one that’s within our control. He’s one of a group of people that we want to try and co-ordinate, we want to try and extend; to keep at the club and there’s reasons why.”
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