Socceroos stars Lucas Neill and Tim Cahill are willing to risk angering their English clubs again to be part of Australia’s World Cup qualifier in China next month.

Neill, Cahill and other European-based Socceroos have pledged their availability for the next group match against China at altitude in Kunming on March 26 despite it being a midweek match sandwiched between club games.

The match promises a repeat of the “three games in a week across two time zones” schedule the European-based Aussies confronted and conquered in their 3-0 win over Qatar in this week’s opening World Cup qualifier in Melbourne.

Playing at altitude with little time to adjust and the physical challenges that represents adds a further hurdle to both the match and recovery.

But Socceroos skipper Neill said he would continue to make himself available for his country regardless of any pressure his English club West Ham and manager Alan Curbishley may put on him to dodge international duty.

“People say `why would you want to go and play for Australia in the middle of two English Premier League games?’ (I say) Because I’m playing for Australia and I want to go to the World Cup,” Neill said.

“It’s an honour, it’s a privilege and I’m sure there are millions and millions of others who would want to be doing what we are doing. I’m not taking it for granted.

“If it was him (Curbishley) going to represent England he wouldn’t have an argument and that’s the only case we have to put forward to him.”

Cahill, who on his performance against Qatar looms as the most important player in the Socceroos’ long World Cup qualification road, said his participation in the match was never in doubt.

His Everton club manager David Moyes had hinted at a hamstring injury, and admitted publicly he didn’t want Cahill to make the trip.

But Cahill defied the pressure, then produced an outstanding 65-minute performance including a goal before he and his teammates departed Melbourne yesterday for the long trip home to Europe and their weekend club matches.

“Before I even got here, I was reading things that I was injured and I wasn’t coming and I wasn’t getting on the aeroplane. I was still getting on the areoplane, injured or not injured, just to be part of the squad,” Cahill said.

“We just showed our commitment.”

While the four games in this qualifying stage following the China match will be played in the European off-season, the club versus country issue is set to escalate should the Socceroos advance to the next phase of Asian World Cup qualifying.

That will involve another eight internationals, plus the prospect of more should Australia find themselves involved in playoffs.

But Celtic striker Scott McDonald pointed to the care the Socceroos staff had given the players in bringing them home and sending them back to their clubs under medical supervision.

Head doctor Jeff Steinweg accompanied the European-based players to Australia, while head physiotherapist Phil Coles left with the team last night for Europe.

“The Australian staff have been fantastic. We had the doctor fly all the way over to London so he could fly back with us and make sure we were in tip-top shape,” McDonald said.

“We’ve got someone flying over with us tonight as well so hopefully that will hold us in good stead (to be fit for our weekend matches).

“It’s important the relationships between club and country are very good. The new manager (Pim Verbeek) spoke to all the club managers and there seems to be a good relationship there, so long may that continue.”

© AAP 2012

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