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Within 24 hours, the A-League has lost two of its most marketable names \u2013 one for the foreseeable future, and the other for up to three months in an injury blow that could also dent the Socceroos\u2019 Asian Cup ambitions.<\/p>\n
Craig Goodwin, one of the stars of Australia\u2019s World Cup campaign, is set to join the cavalcade of global stars flocking to Saudi Arabia after Adelaide United agreed to sell him for more than $1 million.<\/p>\n
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Craig Goodwin is off to Saudi Arabia again.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n The reigning Johnny Warren medallist will rejoin Al-Wehda, the Saudi Pro League club who he signed for in 2019, in a deal that was closed just before the oil-rich kingdom\u2019s transfer window shut on Thursday.<\/p>\n Goodwin, 31, failed to settle in his first stint in Saudi Arabia and returned to Adelaide on loan \u2013 but the game has changed markedly since then. High-profile stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and N\u2019Golo Kante now play in the domestic league after a government-led investment spree of $1 billion on players.<\/p>\n The left-winger will not be on the same sort of exorbitant salary as those stars, but he will reportedly still earn about $2.5 million a season, making him one of the world\u2019s highest-paid Australian players.<\/p>\n For Adelaide, and the A-League, it is a blow to lose Goodwin, who became a household name with a goal and an assist for Graham Arnold\u2019s Socceroos as they reached the round of 16 in their best World Cup performance last year.<\/p>\n Mathew Leckie celebrates his match-winning goal against Denmark.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Melbourne City marquee star Mathew Leckie \u2013 who scored a dazzling solo goal against Denmark \u2013 could be sidelined for 12 weeks by a knee injury suffered on duty with the Socceroos.<\/p>\n The team said Leckie took a knock at training, ruling him out of Sunday\u2019s friendly against Mexico at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, as well as next month\u2019s clash with England at Wembley Stadium, and potentially Australia\u2019s first two 2026 World Cup qualifiers in November.<\/p>\n Sources close to the team suggest Leckie has hurt the lateral ligaments in his knee. While the timeline for his recovery will be set by his club upon his return to Melbourne, he is expected to miss between two and three months.<\/p>\n A worst-case scenario would leave the 32-year-old with only a handful of games in the A-League to return to match fitness before the Socceroos begin their Asian Cup charge against India on January 13.<\/p>\n Leckie\u2019s injury compounds a shortage of fit and in-form wingers for the Socceroos. Arnold did not pick Awer Mabil, who recently signed for Swiss club Grasshoppers, in the squad to face Mexico after a lean period at club level. Goodwin, who had off-season groin surgery, was also not selected.<\/p>\n It means a big opportunity beckons for Martin Boyle to re-establish himself as one of Australia\u2019s main attacking weapons after missing the World Cup due to an ACL injury, and for Connor Metcalfe, who has been used in a wide role by his German club FC St Pauli.<\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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