Huddersfield Town midfielder Aaron Mooy has been ruled out Australia's Asian Cup defence after a thorough assessment of his ligament injury, the Football Federation Australia (FFA) said yesterday.

The injury sustained by Mooy was first flagged by Huddersfield but the FFA said Mooy was desperate to feature in the Jan. 5-Feb. 1 tournament and had requested a second opinion.

FK Austria Wien midfielder James Jeggo will replace Mooy in coach Graham Arnold's 23-man squad as they look to defend their Asian Cup title in the United Arab Emirates.

"It is disappointing to lose Aaron for the tournament however it was important that we left no stone unturned in exploring every option to get Aaron on the pitch for Australia in the UAE," Arnold said in a statement.

"We will remain in close contact with Aaron and Huddersfield Town during his rehabilitation and trust that he will make a successful return to action."