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Scottish Premiership match ball
Scottish Premiership managers will be rejoicing at the news that the 2027 Asian Cup has been suspended.
The 24-team tournament was due to take place in Saudi Arabia between January 7 and February 5 but has now been pushed back to December at the end of next year because of Iranian missile strikes in the country in retaliation to attacks from the United States and Israel in the Middle East.
The Scottish football schedule at the turn of the year is packed with the fourth round of the Scottish Cup also getting underway on the second weekend of January, and bosses in the top-flight will be delighted to still have some of their top talents at their disposal as we welcome ourselves into 2027.
Here is now each Premiership club has been affected by the news of the 2027 Asian Cup's rescheduled date.
Martin O'Neill's side have been without winger Yang since the start of November. The 24-year-old was part of the South Korea U23 team that won a gold medal at the Asian Games last month but has not been able to shake off a hamstring injury picked up at the tournament.
Having already been capped 10 times for his country at senior level, Yang was sure to be involved at the 2027 Asian Cup and Hoops fans will hope to have him fit and firing for the rest of the season, with boss O'Neill confirming that the player is now back in training this week.
Games he won't miss:
January 9 - Dundee (H)
Weekend of January 16 - Scottish Cup fourth round
January 21 - Marseille (H)
January 24 - St Mirren (A)
January 28 - Union Saint-Gilloise (A)
January 31 - Falkirk (H)
February 3 - Motherwell (A)
Ex Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal has been one of the stars of the Premiership season so far. Dundee United pulled off a huge coup by signing the 23-year-old from Utrecht in the Eredivisie, fresh off the playmaker's exploits for Iraq at the summer World Cup.
Dundee United's Zidane Iqbal celebrates(Image: Russell Cheyne/Shutterstock)
Iqbal scored his first goal for Jim Goodwin's side in the dramatic 3-2 win over Aberdeen last month and having racked up 31 caps for Iraq would have been a key cog in the nation gunning for glory at the postponed Asian Games.
The Tannadice club also have a number of budding stars hoping to win senior international recognition with Australia, who have also qualified for the tournament. Forward Zac Sapsford was previously capped for the Socceroos at U19 level while duo Joshua Rawlins and Daniel Bennie are both current youth internationals. Attacker Lachlan Rose also hails from Down Under.
January 9 - Rangers (H)
Weekend of January 16 - Scottish Cup fourth round
January 23 - Motherwell (A)
January 30 - St Johnstone (A)
February 3 - Hibernian (H)
Attacking wing back Ryan Strain won the latest of his four caps for Australia two years ago but will be targeting a recall following some impressive displays for Falkirk.
Strain netted Bairns second goal in their shock 2-0 win over Celtic last weekend, registering his first strike for the club since his summer switch from Dundee United.
The 29-year-old was born in Coventry, England but successfully met the criteria to play for Australia after living in the country between 2015 and 2021.
Games he won't miss:
January 9 - St Johnstone (A)
Weekend of January 16 - Scottish Cup fourth round
January 23 - Hearts (H)
January 31 - Celtic (A)
February 3 - Aberdeen (A)
Easter Road legend Martin Boyle has scored 10 times in 41 caps for Australia since his debut in 2018 but agonisingly missed out on both the 2022 and 2026 World Cup with the Socceroos.
Hibs duo Martin Boyle and Joe Newell celebrate at full-time(Image: Neil Hanna/Shutterstock)
However the 33-year-old showed what he can still do by netting Hibs' equaliser in their Premier Sports Cup semi final over arch rivals Hearts on Sunday to set up a Hampden showdown with Rangers on December 13.
His teammate Ante Suto hails from Croatia but also holds an Aussie passport through his Sydney-born father and was called up to the latter's senior side for the first time back in March.
Hibs defender Jack Iredale was an Australia U17 international way back in 2012 but has yet to win recognition at senior level.
January 9 - Motherwell (H)
Weekend of January 16 - Scottish Cup fourth round
January 23 - Kilmarnock (H)
January 30 - Dundee (A)
February 3 - Dundee United (A)
The Steelmen's current ranks include Australian trio Jake Girdwood-Reich, Oscar Priestman and John Koutroumbis. None of them have been capped for their country at senior level but did all represent the Socceroos in the U23 set up.
Games they won't miss:
January 9 - Hibernian (A)
Weekend of January 16 - Scottish Cup fourth round
January 23 - Dundee United (H)
January 30 - Kilmarnock (A)
February 3 - Celtic (H)
Ibrox star Cammy Devlin is currently out of action with a hamstring injury that won't see him return to action for another three weeks but the midfielder was part of the Aussie side that competed at the 2026 World Cup.
Devlin - who swapped Hearts for Rangers last summer - has five caps to his name and will be keen to try and play his way back into international contention when he gets back to fitness.
Minsu Kim has caught the eye for Derek McInnes' team this season and the 20-year-old won international recognition for the first time last month by South Korea and would have been pushing for involvement at the Asia Cup.
Rangers Minsu Kim warms up(Image: SNS Group)
Fellow summer signing Daisuke Yokota is yet to be capped by Japan at senior level but will have ambitions of pulling on the Blue Samurai jersey in the future.
January 9 - Dundee United (A)
Weekend of January 16 - Scottish Cup fourth round
January 23 - St Johnstone (H)
January 30 - Aberdeen (A)
February 3 - Kilmarnock (H)
The Buddies snapped up goalkeeper Jacob Chapman from Huddersfield during the off-season and the Aussie saw his displays in the early part of the campaign rewarded with a first call up for Australia in September, where he sat on the bench for the friendly double header with Brazil.
Games he won't miss:
January 9 - Kilmarnock (A)
Weekend of January 16 - Scottish Cup fourth round
January 24 - Celtic (H)
January 30 - Hearts (A)
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