Sunderland will be without Bailey Wright against Millwall this weekend as he helped Australia qualify for the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

The defender was called up for the Socceroos but not much was expected of Graham Arnold's side given they were in a tough group that included France, Denmark and Tunisia.

However, Wright and his teammates have defied the odds to book a spot in the next round, which will take place this weekend against the winners of Group C.

Therefore, the 30-year-old, who came on in the win over Denmark today, will still be in Qatar when his club teammates take on Millwall on Saturday at 12:30.

That will be a blow for Tony Mowbray as he had been using the former Preston man regularly before the World Cup break, but the club knew there was a chance he would miss the fixture against the Lions when they rearranged it.

Depending on how far the Aussies go, Wright could also miss Sunderland's game against West Brom which takes place on December 12.

The verdict

It's unclear as to whether Wright would have played this weekend anyway given the short turnaround from Australia's game today.

Nevertheless, it's not ideal for Sunderland as he would've been an experienced option on the bench but the reality is that all connected to the club will be delighted for the defender that his World Cup journey is continuing.

So, Wright will have one eye on the game this weekend from his TV screen and he will then want another Australia win to make it a memorable day.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.