ALAMEDA, California -- Socceroos officials expect Mohamed Touré will resume training on Thursday, but will stage that session behind closed doors and have provided no specifics as to the cause of the striker's absence on Wednesday.
Taking the field at the Oakland Roots and Soul facility in Alameda on Wednesday evening, Touré was a notable absentee during the 15 minutes media were allowed to observe, with every other member of Tony Popovic's 26-player unit taking part in drills.
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Immediately questioned on Touré's absence following the session, defender Jordan Bos conceded that his teammate hadn't joined the group once observers were ushered away.
"No, I actually don't know," Bos said. "It was actually during training where I noticed he wasn't in there, so I don't know why he wasn't."
Prior to Milos Degenek fronting the assembled media, a Socceroos spokesperson confirmed that Touré was expected to return to the training track the following day, albeit without giving details about what had kept him from joining his teammates.
The Norwich City attacker had arrived at the facility with the rest of his teammates, present for a team photo that was taken before the commencement of the day's session but, with the Socceroos' opening Group D fixture against Türkiye just days away, speculation will now likely mount over his status for that game.
Any kind of absence from Touré would represent a significant blow to Australia, with the 22-year-old widely expected to lead the line for the Socceroos throughout their coming campaign.
"He's a big asset for us, he's been doing really well, and his new club, he's scoring goals and his power -- everything about him -- is great," Bos said.
Should the Canaries striker prove unable for Saturday's clash with Türkiye, it would leave Tete Yengi as the only fit striker in the squad, with the 25-year-old only having made his international debut in Australia's 1-1 draw with Switzerland in San Diego last Saturday, in which he scored his side's 56th-minute equaliser.
Other potential options to lead the line would be Nestory Irankunda, who played on the wing against the Swiss, but who has previously been deployed centrally by Popovic.
Veteran winger Mathew Leckie, who has a history of being pressed inside throughout his career, could also serve as an option, and is perhaps the most likely option should Popovic opt not to start Yengi.
The coach previously praised the Melbourne City utility when announcing his squad, stating that "the luxury of Mathew Leckie is that he can play anywhere. He has the experience and maturity that you don't need a week or two of training in a position with him. You can basically show him a video, and he would know what to do."
Though less likely, Melbourne Victory flanker Nishan Velupillay could also serve as an option, having been seen as a false-nine during his time in the A-League Men.