Australian captain Jedinak ruled out of Asian Cup clash against Oman

Australian captain Mile Jedinak has been ruled out of the team's Asian Cup match against Oman on Tuesday night with an ankle injury.

Jedinak twisted his ankle following an awkward challenge in the first half of Australia's opening match against Kuwait on Friday night. However, he remained on the pitch and played the full 90 minutes in the team's 4-1 victory.

But, scans have since revealed a slight strain, with Socceroos manager Ange Postecoglou not prepared to take any risks with his captain.

"He's not quite right to play and at this stage of the tournament, we are better to give it a few days extra rest," Postecoglou told reporters on Sunday.

"We will re-assess where he's at for the game against Korea Republic."

Jedinak, who scored a second-half penalty in Australia's opening game, has been in fine form for club side Crystal Palace this season and his absence will be a massive blow for the Socceroos.

He's likely to be replaced in the side by Melbourne Victory captain Mark Milligan, with veterans Mark Bresciano and Matt McKay, as well as youngster Terry Antonis, also options for Postecoglou.

"We worked hard on increasing our depth over the last six months leading into the Asian Cup and that has us in a good position to be able to cover for the loss of a player of Mile's calibre," Postecoglou continued.

Australia will face Oman in Sydney on January 13, before a crucial encounter against South Korea in Brisbane on January 17. Endi