Injuries are set to rob Australia of three overseas-based stars for next week's World Cup football qualifier against Qatar in Brisbane, but Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek was confident he still had sufficient quality in his squad.
The Dutchman today cut his initial squad of 35 to 28, omitting veteran striker Harry Kewell and established midfielders Vince Grella and Mark Bresciano due to fitness worries.
The downsized squad included five uncapped locally based players, Sydney midfielder Stuart Musialik and the Adelaide quartet of Robert Cornthwaite, Eugene Galekovic, Scott Jamieson and Paul Reid.
Verbeek said Kewell, who plays in Turkey, still had a 10 per cent chance of playing next Wednesday, but he would make a final decision on Thursday.
"Harry has special qualities, of course Harry is a great player, so if there's any chance he can do a job for us on Wednesday I will take that chance," Verbeek said.
"He is a loss, but on the other hand we have Timmy (Cahill), we have Scott (McDonald), we have Josh (Kennedy), we have so many good players that we can still have a great game.
"I never say never, so I will wait for what is going on, but we have to be realistic, he suffered a small injury last Monday, so it's already eight days".
Verbeek wouldn't be drawn on whether Queensland's veteran central defender Craig Moore, who has come out of international retirement, would be a contender for a spot in the 2010 World Cup finals, should Australia qualify.
The vast majority of the 19 overseas based players in the squad fly into Australia tomorrow, while the Adelaide contingent will arrive late on Thursday after playing in the first leg of their Asian Champions League semi-final tomorrow night.
"I have to be careful with those (Adelaide) players because they have played a lot of games and they are not used to that but still I like to have all those players with me," Verbeek said.
He said Galekovic had replaced Newcastle goalkeeper Ante Covic because he was in better form, while Cornthwaite was chosen ahead of fast rising Sydney youngster Shannon Cole.
Verbeek nominated Reid as one of several players, including Jason Culina, Jacob Burns, Mile Jedinak and Musialik as contenders to fill the central midfield positions vacated by the unavailable Grella and Carl Valeri.
He said Australia's job of beating Qatar would not be made any easier by the announcement they had appointed a new coach.
"He will make some changes maybe in tactics and maybe in lineup, so we have to wait for that," Verbeek said.
The Socceroos squad is Jacob Burns (FC Unirea Valahorum, Romania) Tim Cahill (Everton, England) David Carney (Sheffield United, England) Scott Chipperfield (FC Basel, Switzerland) Robert Cornthwaite (Adelaide United, Aust) Chris Coyne (Colchester United, England) Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands) Bruce Djite (Genclerbirligi SK, Turkey) Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers, England) Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United, Aust) Richard Garcia (Hull City, England) Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands) Scott Jamieson (Adelaide United, Aust) Mile Jedinak (Central Coast Mariners, Aust) Josh Kennedy (Karlsruher SC, Germany) Scott McDonald (Celtic, Scotland) Craig Moore (Queensland Roar, Aust) Stuart Musialik (Sydney FC, Aust) Lucas Neill (West Ham United, England) Jade North (Newcastle Jets, Aust) Michael Petkovic (Sivasspor, Turkey) Paul Reid (Adelaide United, Aust) Mark Schwarzer (Fulham, England) Matthew Spiranovic (FC Nurberg, Germany) Shane Stefanutto (FC Lyn Oslo, Norway) Mile Sterjovski (Derby County, England) Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory, Aust) Luke Wilkshire (FK Dinamo Moscow, Russia).
