Kevan Sangster 
Riley McGree in action for the Socceroos against Saudi Arabia. Photo: Marcus Robertson / Round Ball Australia.
With the Socceroos World Cup campaign due to commence in just seven weeks, many Australian football fans are already focusing on their national team’s first game against Türkiye on June 13.
Yet for at least two players hoping to be involved in that glittering occasion in Vancouver, there is still a lot to play for way before the big dance in North America.
Riley McGree and Sammy Silvera have a crucial few weeks to navigate with their club side Middlesbrough starting this Saturday, as the Teesside club bids to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
Round Ball Australia spoke to local Middlesbrough football reporter Craig Johns this week to find out what may be in store for the Aussies in Boro’s promotion run-in, and how that may impact their Socceroos hopes.
McGree injury concerns abated?
Since returning from injury in December, midfielder McGree had been in sparkling form for his club side in recent months, bagging five goals and providing three assists as Boro consolidated their top-two Championship position.
Yet a ‘small knock’ in training last week has seen him miss the Teessiders’ last two games, including the pivotal 2-2 draw at Ipswich last weekend that saw the club drop to fifth on the ladder due to wins for teams around them.
So is this yet another Socceroo injury to be worried about or is McGree likely to feature in Middlesbrough’s run-in?
According to Boro beat reporter Johns, it’s not a major concern.
“Although the club are coy with injuries, the suggestion has been that it won’t be serious and that he [McGree] could even return against Watford on Saturday,” he explains.
This opinion lines up with official statements coming out of the club, with Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg having this to say on McGree in the aftermath of the Ipswich game.
“It’s one of those things that can happen on the training pitch, a small knock. I hope he will be back on Wednesday, that is my hope. If not, it should hopefully be Saturday,” Hellberg said.
McGree didn’t make Wednesday’s game, but Aussie fans will be hopeful he is back for Saturday’s home game with Nestory Irankunda’s Watford.
It’s a view shared by Johns too, who points out how crucial the South Australian has become for his club side.
“McGree remains an integral player for Boro. They’re better with him in the team, so the hope will that he is fit again for the play-offs at least, preferably sooner,” he suggests.
The concern for many is not just McGree’s current minor knock but also the regularity of his injury breakdowns. He missed a frustrating 53 games for ‘Boro during the previous two seasons, and quite a few for the national team during the same period.
All eyes will be on the Middlesbrough team sheet this Saturday for an update.
Silvera playing for his future
It’s a different story for McGree’s ‘Boro teammate Sammy Silvera, who is now fully fit after a two-month spell on the sidelines with a foot injury.
The versatile wide player was another to impress at Middlesbrough before his enforced absence, delivering two goals and two assists in a stellar January.
He has subsequently returned to Boro’s match-day squad in recent weeks – coming off the bench in both the Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday games – and Johns feels he has a part to play in the promotion run-in.
“Before his injury he [Silvera] became a well-used player by Kim Hellberg, even if not always from the start. He offers natural width, pace and ability to beat a man one-v-one, which Boro don’t otherwise have,” he stated.
And it’s not just in Middlesbrough that Silvera has been short of match practice.
In and out of the Socceroos squad in recent times, the ex-Central Coast Mariners winger last stepped on to the field in green and gold back in September against New Zealand, although he was provisionally included in the squad for the March internationals before withdrawing through injury.
The next few weeks will be pivotal for his hopes of securing a World Cup berth, but it is also critical to his long-term future at Middlesbrough too, given his current contract at the club expires this June.
If he can have a significant impact on ‘Boro’s promotion push he could not only make a late run for inclusion in Tony Popovic’s final squad for World Cup 2026, but also secure a lucrative contract extension too.
Club over country?
One final factor in Middlesbrough’s promotion run-in for both players is the impact the Championship playoffs may have.
With Boro now outsiders for an automatic promotion spot, the four team playoff currently seems their best chance of securing a return to the Premier League.
Should this be the case, the two-legged Semi-finals will take place in mid-May, with the Final (should they get there) scheduled for Saturday 23rd May at Wembley.
And that may create a bit of a fixture log jam for both players, given Australia’s next pre-World Cup friendly with Mexico is locked in for 30th May in Pasadena, just 2 weeks before their Group D opener in Vancouver.
So, would Middlesbrough be taking this into account in their frantic end-of-season planning? Not according to Johns.
“I’m assuming Boro’s play-off final would take precedent, or at least, they won’t have to release the players until after that game, and both players would be involved if Boro get that far. The club will want their best possible options in their squad for that game,” he concludes.
While that scenario may not well play out, if it does then theoretically both McGree and Silvera could be involved in up to five more games for Middlesbrough before the end of the English season, and have just seven days between a potential Wembley appearance and facing Mexico in California.
Given the injury records of both players, it’s not an ideal preparation for what could be the biggest (northern) summer of their careers.
Even more reason to keep a close eye on Middlesbrough’s progress in their final two regular-season games, as they bid to seize an automatic promotion place and avoid any club versus country complications.
Tony Popovic may well be holding his breath.