To see the Olyroos in training today...

Coach Graham Arnold today confirmed Vukovic will miss this weekend's friendly against Mexico in the US after the shotstopper was banned from domestic football for nine months.

His international future has yet to be decided, but Arnold admitted Vukovic's head isn't in the right place to be considered for the game this week.

"The kid is totally shattered," said Arnold at Olyroos training at Sydney's Academy of Sport on the Northern Beaches. "It's totally out of character for Danny.

"It does disrupt things. He's played 14 games, he's been involved with me for two and half years, he's a senior player, he's a leader. He's a wonderful person to have around the place because he's the life and joy of the place.

"All the other players are down about it. He was in the hotel last night when he got the news and the kid was distraught. He was shattered.

"There are two sides to it. Unfortunately he got the news when he was in camp but he had his mates around him to console him

"We have a special team spirit around here. They're all friends and was great to see Mark Bridge and the Newcastle boys who were around him the most because they've grown up as good friends."

Arnold is now facing up to building his squad around a new shotstopper with the uncertainty hanging over Vukovic's future.

"It's out of my hands, I have to coach the team and get on with it," said Arnold.

"Even if you take him away, he would have been no good to us with that type of ban hanging over his head. His head would have been somewhere else.

"Danny's had an outstanding three years in the A-League where he's been consistently one of the best goalkeepers in the A-League.

"The fact that he's not playing in the Mexico game is a huge loss for us. He played in all the qualifiers. In the last seven games we only let in one goal and he was a major factor in that.

"He's big enough to say he probably did the wrong thing but the decision has nothing to do with me.

"I feel for the kid. He's a wonderful kid and hopefully it will all be resolved soon. I believe he's lodging an appeal within the next seven days."

He added: "We have another six months preparation and I always intended to find another goalkeeper in case something happened to Danny and now someone gets an opportunity as well as many other players.

"We're leaving to play a very good side in Mexico and I'm concentrating on the players I have here.

"Mark Milligan's out for three or four weeks, he has a quad strain and Mark's the captain.

"There's a very good chance Danny would have been the captain over there against Mexico. The armband is a prestigious thing for the players and I'll decide over there who gets it.

"I'll look at someone more senior in that role. Billy Celeski comes to mind and Nikolai Topor-Stanley has had a very good season...

"Tando [Velaphi] was always the back-up to Danny and Justin Pasfield has come back from overseas and is playing with the Wollongong Wolves so there is competition for the position and we also have Adam Federici with Reading, we're in pretty good health.

"I want Danny to play for the national team. I want my best players available but it's not my decision to make and I'm sure the FFA will handle it the right way.

"You would hope it doesn't cut into his Olympic campaign. At the end of the day, Danny has copped a suspension and he has to go and get his lawyers involved to see what he can do about it, but I don't condone violence on the field."

Just two overseas stars will be joining the Olyroos squad for the Mexico game which isn't covered by FIFA international release conditions as it's being played on a Sunday.

But Adrian Leijer, currently starring in Fulham's reserves, has been granted permission to join the team along with Dave Williams who is on a season break at Brondby.

Milligan was at the training session today with his thigh strapped up but didn't take part. He later went on for MRI scans to see the extent of the damage.

Arnold added: "Millsy's been carrying an injury for a while now and it would be silly of us to take Mark across on a long flight and to play then damage it even worse.

"He's in calculations for the Socceroos and we have a big game against China coming up and I think that's more the focus of the organisation at the moment.

"The welfare of the players for that is more important than this one against Mexico."

One of the few bright spots for Arnold was the return to fitness of Sydney defender Jacob Timpano who turned out for his club in the PanPacs last week.

"That's fantastic," he said. "Jake was captain of the side before he got injured and the fact that he's had a lot of injuries and is coming back is fantastic news.

"Mark Bridge has the hamstring injury that he pulled up with in the grand final, and once again, looking forward to the China game with Mark being in those calculations, it would be silly to take him as well.

"But other than that we can't get any overseas players who are tied up with club commitments."

He added: "Mexico is a very, very good side. They're predominantly the side that won the Under 17s World Cup in Peru and it gives us a good chance for some A-League players to push their case forward."

"The competition is going to be fierce."

To see the Olyroos in training today...