Melbourne City star Mathew Leckie's Socceroos absence will extend beyond a year, souring his heroic effort to play through a hamstring injury and a busted nose in the A-League Men grand final.
Leckie won the Joe Marston Medal as player of the match in City's 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory, despite having his nose splattered across his face and bleeding through a bandage after copping an accidental boot early in the second half.
A battered Leckie confirmed after his heroic performance that he had been called up - for the first time under Tony Popovic - for crunch World Cup qualifiers against Japan in Perth on June 5 and against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah five days later.
But the 2022 World Cup hero now won't go - between both requiring assessment on his face in Melbourne on Monday and a fresh soft tissue injury, and wasn't named in the squad on Sunday.
The 34-year-old revealed he had suffered a hamstring injury on Tuesday and had carried it into Saturday night's decider, when he starred at defensive midfield - showcasing his grit and versatility.
"I hurt my hamstring, so I basically played with a strained hamstring," Leckie said.
"It was minor but we didn't get it scanned. I didn't want to know it was.
"I just wanted to get through Friday's session. It didn't feel too bad. And then with medication and stuff (I could play)."
While Aziz Behich, Kai Trewin and Marco Tilio flew to Perth on Sunday morning, Leckie was at City's championship celebrations at AAMI Park.
Leckie hasn't played for Australia since the June 2024 win over Palestine, when Graham Arnold was still coach.
"I want to be there. I really do," he said.
"I've always said that I love the national team. I love representing Australia.
"But obviously over the last two years, my body's just been a lot of dramas with injuries.
"And as much as I would like to be there, what's happening now with this and recently with my leg, I really, really think I do need just a really good break. And hopefully it all works out for next season.
"Just have a nice break, get through the pre-season, because I need a good pre-season - not just stop-start. Because I was back four or five times this year.
"I need consistency. My body needs game time, and hopefully with a really good break that'll happen."
He hopes that getting his body right can deliver the consistent form to make a run at a potential fourth World Cup.
"I need to play a really good season to give myself a chance," he said.
"If I'm playing, I'm healthy, playing well, that's what's gonna keep an opportunity to potentially compete."
Leckie could at least soak up his first championship win.
"It feels unbelievable," he said.
"I was saying, if we had lost this game and I walked away looking like this, then I would get devastated. It's all worth it.
"Now we've made another special moment where, when I finish my career, I can look back on and I've probably got scars that'll remind me as well."
