Australian national team coach Pim Verbeerk has dropped three more players from his World Cup squad ahead of their trip to South Africa. Verbeek today announced that Middlesbrough striker Scott McDonald, Tromso defender Jade North and Crystal Palace midfielder Nick Carle will not be a part of the 28-man travelling squad for next month's World Cup in South Africa.
Verbeek said that former Celtic man McDonald always has to play with another striker and the fact that the Socceroos will not be integrating that into their formation led the Dutchman to believe that McDonald was surplus to requirements.
"Scotty is a typical two striker player. That's why he feels happy in a two striker system, the English style of play where he played with Celtic and now with Middlesbrough but we don't play with two strikers," Verbeek said.
"We play with one striker at the top and with typical wingers so Scotty doesn't fit in this system. He knows it, he tried everything and I had a discussion with him this morning, a friendly talk, difficult from my part and that's the same with the others (Carle and North).
"I have a lot of respect the way those three players handled the message towards me and their colleagues. I was really impressed with the professional attitude they showed after the message came."
Verbeek will cut his squad to 23 on June 1st but retain five to continue training and he then has the opportunity to alter his squad up until June 12 depending on injury.
28-man Australia squad for 2010 World Cup
Goalkeepers
Mark Schwarzer (Fulham) Adam Federici (Reading) Brad Jones (Middlesbrough) Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United)
Defenders
Scott Chipperfield (FC Basel) David Carney (FC Twente) Lucas Neill (Galatasaray) Michael Beauchamp (Melbourne Heart) Shane Lowry (Aston Villa) Craig Moore (unattached) Mark Milligan (JEF United) Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough) Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo Moscow)
Midfielders
Vince Grella (Blackburn Rovers) Jason Culina (Gold Coat United) Carl Valeri (Sassuolo) Mile Jedinak (Genclerbirligi) Tim Cahill (Everton) Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar) Dario Vidosic (Nuremberg) Mark Bresciano (unattached) Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers) James Holland (AZ Alkmaar)* Tommy Oar (FC Utrecht)*
Strikers
Harry Kewell (Galatasaray) Nikita Rukavytsya (FC Twente) Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus) Richard Garcia (Hull City)
*denotes in squad for training purposes
