Craig Goodwin faces an uphill battle to reach a second World Cup after the Socceroos veteran suffered a groin injury while playing for Adelaide United.
The 34-year-old was forced from the field just 25 minutes into the Reds' dramatic 3-2 loss to A-League Men leaders Newcastle at Coopers Stadium on Sunday evening.
"Obviously, it's a groin injury but we don't know to what extent or whatever, so he needs to have some scans ... and then we'll know a bit more," coach Airton Andrioli told reporters.
"So we're hoping that it's nothing too bad, but obviously we need to take the medical view of the situation, the injury, then we'll know a bit more."
Given what's on the line this year - a World Cup berth - Goodwin, who has three goals and three assists this season, will nervously await the results of those scans.
A more serious injury would put the classy winger in doubt for friendlies against Cameroon in Sydney on March 27 and Curacao in Melbourne four days later - the official send-off games before the World Cup.
Those games are the final friendlies before coach Tony Popovic kicks off preparations for June's tournament, meaning Goodwin could face a short runway to prove himself before selection.
“I always know that I won't make national team selection if I'm not performing at my best with Adelaide,” Reds captain Goodwin told AAP ahead of the A-League season.
Making life tougher is that Goodwin has fallen out of favour in recent camps under Popovic.
Goodwin was a stalwart under Graham Arnold and key to Australia's terrific run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar - scoring against France and taking the deflected shot credited as an own goal against Argentina.
But more recently, Nestory Irankunda and Riley McGree have been preferred options on the left, while Nishan Velupillay and Martin Boyle are also in the mix.
Not all of Goodwin's absences have been through being overlooked.
Goodwin registered three goals in qualifying, but last June he had foot surgery and missed Australia's World Cup-sealing wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Set-piece specialist Goodwin was, like other A-League players, left out of October's friendlies against New Zealand, where Irankunda, Mohamed Toure and Connor Metcalfe shone in attack.
Against Venezuela in November, with Jordy Bos and Aziz Behich unavailable through injury, Popovic tested Goodwin at left wing-back.
But Goodwin was exposed for Venezuela's goal, then hooked for Callum Elder at halftime.
Goodwin was left on the bench for the following game against Colombia, indicating the experiment was short-lived.
