However,before he could be picked,the 31-year-old approached Arnold to rule himself out and informed him he would no longer be available for the national team.
After three years wrecked by injury and form issues,Luongo was at one point resigned to a return to Australia and had verbally accepted an offer with A-League club Perth Glory,but his fortunes have dramatically reversed this season. He has emerged as a key player for Ipswich Town,whose scintillating football has pushed them into second in the English Championship,making them one of the hot favourites for automatic promotion to the top flight.
Luongo is also out of contract at the end of the season and,had he gone to Qatar with the Socceroos,he could have missed as many as seven matches,potentially jeopardising his spot in manager Kieran McKenna’s starting team and therefore his prospects of another contract and a hefty bonus if Ipswich Town manage to secure a spot in the Premier League.
“This hasn’t been a decision I’ve taken lightly,but I’ve got to prioritise managing my body as my career goes on,” Luongo said in a statement.
“I’ve loved my journey with the national team and will always cherish the moments I’ve had in this jersey. I look forward to watching on now as this group of young players drive the Socceroos culture forward.”
Luongo,a former APIA Leichhardt junior,was playing for Swindon Town in England’s fourth division when he was plucked out of nowhere by then national team boss Ange Postecoglou for his debut in 2014.
He went on to play a starring role at the 2015 Asian Cup,scoring the opening goal in the final before being named player of the tournament and earning a nomination on the Ballon d’Or longlist. He was then selected in two World Cup squads (2014 and 2018) but did not get on the pitch at either tournament.