He is a potential talisman in the post-Tim Cahill Socceroos era, where A-League stars have gained the standing and goal-scoring record to match it with the world's best.

Gameiro, after all, will be in his prime at the age of 25 by the time the Russia 2018 tournament rolls around.

Sure, he hasn't always made the most of his opportunities since leaving South Coast Wolves in 2010, on the way to establishing an A-League career via London, Eindhoven and Wellington.

But the maturing of the Port Kembla junior as a man and a player is reflected in his scoring record this year.

So impressive has Gameiro been, he spoke of plans to overrun Sydney FC captain Alex Brosque as the club's leading all-time scorer.

The Sky Blue fan base had taken to calling him "Scorey Goalmeiro", such was his conversion rate through the pre-season and opening rounds of the A-League.

But now, while on duty with the Olyroos and taking major strides towards a post-Asian Cup future in the national squad, his season is over.

Gameiro ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, ruling him out for the rest of the season.

Right now, dreams like being part of a World Cup squad should serve as a motivation, or at the very least a welcome distraction for Gameiro, who took to Twitter from China to reveal he is "devastated and gutted".

The injury comes little more than 12 months after Gameiro dislocated his knee cap after slipping on a tiled floor while filming a Fox Sports television promotion wearing his playing boots.

The critics are out in force at Ange Postecoglou's continued experimentation with the Socceroos' squad in the lead-up to the Asian Cup, but Gameiro stands to be one of the main beneficiaries of his policies.

Currently 21, he's about to graduate from the Olyroos ranks and Postecoglou has shown his willingness to open doors for domestic stars that previous managers like Pim Verbeek kept firmly shut.

It may seem a long way off, but Gameiro's talents - and Postecoglou's willingness to use them - could be factors in finding a solution to the Socceroos finding ways to score when Cahill's career ends.

It can sometimes be difficult to fathom the personal toll on an elite athlete when struck down by such an injury.

Kyle Stanley's career has been so influenced by knee problems, he's moved to the Sharks for a fresh start and we're all still unsure about his best playing position after he made his NRL debut in 2010.

The worst this hack has experienced is the twang of a hamstring strain during University's ultimately failed Illawarra cricket fourth grade campaign last season.

Painful and annoying, sure, but not a threat to a livelihood, or the nation's future.

Which is why Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke should make an honest decision on his future.

Plenty of the greats have walked away from the short forms of the game to prolong their Test careers.

If he's fit in time, Clarke has been urged by West Indian batting genius Brian Lara to make the upcoming World Cup his one-day swansong, as Clarke struggles to deal with hamstring and lower-back problems.

Clarke's batting has already suffered from the weight of expectation and ongoing battle to play pain-free.

It's left Australia's middle-order increasingly vulnerable and this week raised the argument of whether the old or new guard - Brad Haddin or Steve Smith - should take over in his absence.

Without Clarke, Smith is now Australia's best batsman and by some distance when Dave Warner produces rocks, rather than diamonds.

Smith may be groomed as the next Test captain in the same way Clarke took the reins from Ricky Ponting.

But for now, Smith should be allowed to reach his full potential, without being forced into taking on the extra responsibility of captaincy.