Jones gets the start as Arnold hunts for a fullback solution

Gethin Jones will make his Socceroos debut in its final pre-Asian Cup hitout against Bahrain, as coach Graham Arnold waits for someone to claim the team's right back position as their own.

Asian Cup bolter Gethin Jones will make his senior international debut in the Socceroos' pre-Asian Cup friendly against Bahrain as coach Graham Arnold begins to grapple with the headaches of planning a continental campaign with one eye also on the future. 

Born in Perth but reared in Wales, Jones was one of the more surprising reveals in Australia’s 26-player squad for this month’s Asian Cup, the Bolton Wanderers right-back a former Welsh youth international – even wearing the armband – and declaring in a 2017 interview that he felt more Welsh than Australian.  

But the 28-year-old, who can play at both fullback positions as well as centrally in a back three, said earlier this week that he was “over the moon," to represent the land of his birth and now, as Arnold tries to determine who amongst Jones, Nathaniel Atkinson, and Lewis Miller will start at right back in Doha, he’s set to make his Socceroo bow.

“I need to see him in a game, where he needs to connect with the players, he hasn't played with the boys before,” said Arnold. 

“Playing him in the role that he plays at his club will make things much easier for him. We did 11 v 11 yesterday training, two times 15 minutes, and he was very good. 

“So that'll probably be the only real surprise that you will see [against Bahrain]. There are a few players obviously that need some match minutes and haven't played for the last couple of weeks like Mitchell Duke in Japan where the JLeague finished at the end of November.

“But I've got 26 very good players here and I'm already getting headaches on who to start and who not to start and everyone's turned up, fit and ready to go. So it's gonna be fun selecting not only the side for this one against Bahrain but in the future of the Asian Cup.”

While Jordy Bos and Aziz Behich have a comfortable hold on the opposite flank, Jones will be the latest in a string of players to fill that right-back position for Australia, following not only Atkinson and Miller but also the injured Ryan Strain, still clubless Fran Karačić, and Miloš Degenek, who is out of favour at club side FK Crvena zvezda.

Further, though picked as a centre-back, Thomas Deng is another in the 26-player squad who can also slot in on the right. 

“It is a position that I'm just waiting for one of these players to take it -- put their hand up and take the jersey and say it's mine,” said Arnold. 

“We've got a couple of those positions in the team that are still open to be filled. 

“With Ryan Strain out, Strain did fantastically well against England and New Zealand. Lewis Miller did well last camp. 

“Gethin is someone that's coming in new but he's got that experience, he's 28 years of age. He hasn't been in with the squad before but Nathaniel has and so has Lewis. 

“We are creating depth and building depth there but I'm wanting one of them to really put their hand up and say this is mine.”

First-choice goalkeeper Mat Ryan will miss the Bahrain friendly as he continues his recovery from a fractured cheekbone, but Arnold said that he was in full training and gave no impression that his captain would be unavailable for the Socceroos’ opening Asian Cup game against India next week. 

Adelaide United’s Joe Gauci and Western Sydney Wanderers’ Lawrence Thomas are the other two custodians in the Asian Cup squad but the coach wouldn’t reveal who would start against Bahrain, only that contingency planning and looking ahead to the future was an important part of his considerations.