Skipper Craig Moore, Luke Wilkshire and Mile Jedinak are certainties. But coach Pim Verbeek is keeping his Socceroos starting team close to his chest as a makeshift squad attempts to secure Australia’s future beyond the World Cup in the crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait on Wednesday night.

Moore will occupy one central defensive spot and lead the side, while Wilkshire and Turkish-based Jedinak are expected to pair up in the two holding midfield positions.

The rest of Verbeek’s hybrid A-League and European squad are battling over the remaining places – and the chance to claim inside running for fringe spots in the 23-man World Cup squad to be named in June.

Keenest competition appears to be for the starting left-back position, with Melbourne Victory defender Matthew Kemp in line for his Socceroos debut at age 29 ahead of Central Coast’s Dean Heffernan and Adelaide’s Scott Jamieson.

Sydney FC’s Simon Colosimo and European-based duo Shane Lowry and Matthew Spiranovic are fighting to partner Moore in central defence in Verbeek’s 4-2-3-1 formation.

Sydney FC’s Alex Brosque looks set for a start, playing just behind a lone striker – either Genclerbirligi’s Bruce Djite or Melbourne’s Archie Thompson.

Whether Verbeek gives the gifted Nick Carle a starting opportunity in midfield will be perhaps the most closely scrutinised decision of all.

The Crystal Palace playmaker’s vocal band of admirers are keen to see him given an opportunity to wrap up a World Cup squad place as a possible X-factor for South Africa.

“I know football is a game of opinions,” Carle said from Dubai.

“Everyone has their own opinion, whether they’re good or bad. I know I’ve got a lot of support, and also a lot of people who aren’t as supportive.

“Hopefully I can prove a point that I am good enough to be here.”

The Socceroos arrived in Kuwait early on Tuesday (AEDT) and will train at the match venue on the eve of a game likely to put one of the teams into next year’s Asian Cup finals in Qatar.

Kuwait and Australia are locked atop Group B on seven points, with the top two sides in the group going through to the finals.

Thursday’s winners will book their place, a draw will mean the Socceroos must wait until their final Group B match against Indonesia in Brisbane on March 3, while a loss would be potentially catastrophic, leaving Australia at risk of missing out.

That would create a dearth of meaningful international football post-World Cup regardless of how Australia perform in South Africa.

But the Socceroos have been buoyed by the intensity of their week-long training camp in Dubai, with comfortable weather conditions in the low to mid-20s again expected for match day.

© AAP 2012

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