Blackpool's Kenny Dougall left out of Australian squad as Socceroos beat Vietnam in World Cup qualifier

The midfielder travelled to Hanoi for the game, which the Socceroos won 1-0, but the 28-year-old failed to even make the 12-man bench.

It’s unclear whether Dougall was left out of the 23 purely as a result of team selection, or if he’s picked up a knock.

Last season’s Wembley hero has only just returned from an injury lay-off, having missed large chunks of pre-season and the start of the campaign with a knee problem.

Australia, who have won their last 10 qualifiers on the spin, top their group for next year's World Cup in Qatar.

Neil Critchley will be desperate for Dougall to return to the Fylde coast fully fit, given the problems he’s already got in central midfield.

Both Matty Virtue (ACL) and Grant Ward (achilles) are long-term absentees, while Kevin Stewart has only just returned from an ankle injury.

The 28-year-old, who celebrates his birthday today, was originally named in the Jamaican squad for their World Cup qualifiers.

But the former Liverpool man didn’t travel to meet up with the Reggae Boyz, opting to remain in the UK and build up his fitness instead.

Elsewhere, Blackpool loanee Tyreece John-Jules will be looking to earn his first England Under-21 cap when Lee Carsley’s side take on Kosovo in Milton Keynes tonight.

Shayne Lavery, meanwhile, will be looking to return to Northern Ireland’s starting XI for their crunch qualifier against Switzerland on Wednesday.

The striker, who scored his first international goal in the 4-1 win against Lithuania last week, was an unused substitute for Northern Ireland’s 1-0 friendly win against Estonia on Sunday.

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