Maclaren's World Cup dream finally at an end as he faces Aussie axe

On-loan Hibs striker Jamie Maclaren has been axed from Australia's World Cup squad despite scoring a hat-trick in the Easter Road club's dramatic 5-5 draw with Rangers, according to reports Down Under.
Jamie Maclaren celebrates with the match ball following his hat-trick against Rangers - but was it enough to take him to the World Cup?Jamie Maclaren celebrates with the match ball following his hat-trick against Rangers - but was it enough to take him to the World Cup?
Jamie Maclaren celebrates with the match ball following his hat-trick against Rangers - but was it enough to take him to the World Cup?

Maclaren had been named in Socceroos coach Bert van Marwijk's initial squad ahead of a training camp in Turkey but that number was due to be cut from 32 to 26 with the final pool to be officiially announced tomorrow.

But according to the website The World Game, Maclaren has failed to make the cut, a decision which is says will leave many Aussie fan scratching their heads in disbelief, the 24-year-old described as his nation's on-form striker having claimed eight goals in 13 games since arriving in Edinburgh/

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Maclaren had done so after falling out of favour at German Bundesliga 2 side Darmstadt, opening declaring he'd made the switch until the end of the season in a bid to boost his chances of playing in Russia this summer.

However, Maclaren's treble joy as Hibs racked up their highest ever points total in finishing fourth in the Premiership appears to be ending in agony despite the goals drying up for Tom Juric in Switzerland and 38-year-old Tim Cahill, rated a "special case" by van Marwijk, racking up just 84 goal-less minutes during his brief sentimental stint with maiden club Millwall.