Add Category
Socceroos striker Mitch Duke is adamant he is fit to start in Australia's Asian Cup quarterfinal after recovering from a minor hamstring strain.
- Striker Mitch Duke is pushing to start in Australia's Asian Cup quarterfinal clash
- Australia will take on either Saudi Arabia or South Korea for a spot in the final four
- Duke missed the Socceroos' last match due to a hamstring injury
Duke suffered the injury against Syria, missed the final group game against Uzbekistan, then returned in the 61st minute of Sunday's 4-0 win over Indonesia.
He hopes he has done enough to return to coach Graham Arnold's starting line-up against either South Korea or Saudi Arabia at 6:30pm local time Friday (Saturday 2:30am AEDT).
"That was the probably the best test to see if I could [start]," Duke said of the match against Indonesia.
"I played 35 minutes [or] whatever it was, I've done a lot of sprinting to test it out and I actually feel the best like I've felt, so I think I can put my hand up for sure.
"[I've] got to get through a full week of training now to make sure that stays at that same level and then be in contention for it."
Admitting he at one point feared his Asian Cup was over, Duke is hopeful his early-tournament hiccup has him well-rested for the pointy end of proceedings.
"You always get a bit worried," he said.
"I've never had a soft-tissue injury before either so I wasn't really familiar with the feeling.
"I was a little bit frustrated that I was sore as soon as I came off in the Syria game.
"Thankfully, it was only a grade 1 [strain] and seven to 10 days.
"They've got me back feeling great and actually, in a way it could be a blessing in disguise because I feel the best I've felt actually now in the tournament, which is potentially good timing."
Duke, Arnold's go-to striker in recent years, has started two games, while Bruno Fornaroli and Kusini Yengi have started one apiece.
None have scored yet — much to the 33-year-old's frustration.
"Every opposition brings different challenges and different strengths and weaknesses," Duke said.
"So [Arnold's] given obviously me, Bruno and Kas [Yengi] a chance to show ourselves, and competition's always good as well.
"I want us all to be scoring goals. I want all the strikers to be scoring goals.
"I'm a supporter first of the team and I want us just to win and I want to see us doing well, especially the strikers in my position because a striker hasn't scored a goal yet in this tournament for us and that frustrates me a lot.
"I don't care who it is, I want a striker to score next game. Regardless of if that's me or Bruno, I don't care as long as we bang one in."
AAP