Celtic midfielder Aaron Mooy has been forced to withdraw from international duty with a back injury, the Australian national team has confirmed.

Mooy, 32, was initially called up by Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold for the double-header against Ecuador on March 24 and 28.

However Arnold has now confirmed Mooy will not join up with the squad after all but will instead continue his recovery from the back injury that forced him to miss Celtic's 3-1 win over Hibernian on Saturday in Scotland.

In a statement on the Socceroos website, Arnold said: "It’s unfortunate for Aaron that he misses these games, something I know he was very much looking forward to playing, but his absence provides an opportunity to a further emerging player as we start this new campaign.

“After speaking with Aaron, who missed this weekend’s game, he would only be able to play limited minutes if he came to Australia, so the decision was made for him to stay in Scotland and continue his recovery."

He will be replaced in the squad by Ryan Strain of St Mirren. 

“Ryan has been playing well for St Mirren and deserves this call-up,” said Arnold.

“These matches against strong opposition in Ecuador presents us with the opportunity to commence preparations for the next World Cup cycle, which starts again in November, followed by the AFC Asian Cup in early 2024.

"Building depth in the squad is important as we look to build upon what the team achieved at the World Cup in Qatar, and I’m excited by the blend of experience and youth that we’ve assembled for these two matches.

“This camp will also expose these new players to how an international window works, with limited training sessions and preparation time, which will hold them in good stead moving forward."

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