Late call-up Archie Thompson is expected to start in the Socceroos' first foray into Asian football competition in Bahrain early Thursday morning (Australian time).

Striker Thompson, rushed into the squad after his Dutch club PSV Eindhoven released him for the Asian Cup qualifier against Bahrain, looks certain to play up front in the match in Manama.

He is one of just six players from the team which beat Uruguay in the World Cup playoff last November in the 19-man squad for Australia's first match in its bid to qualify for the 2007 Asian Cup finals.

The squad would have had seven, but suffered a blow with the withdrawal of World Cup playoff hero Tony Vidmar, who has suspected broken ribs from his Dutch club NAC Breda's weekend match.

Vidmar only returned to the side at the weekend after spending several weeks sidelined with a hip flexor injury.

Promising young midfielder Carl Valeri, who is contracted to Italian giant Inter Milan, is his replacement.

"I was looking forward to Tony being there, mainly because he's got so much experience and we've got a young side," assistant coach Graham Arnold said from Manama.

"But these things happen. We've drafted young Carl Valeri into the squad, partly because he's close to Bahrain.

"If need be, he is someone who can hold the midfield in front of the back three."

Winger Ahmad Elrich said it was an ideal opportunity for those players on the fringes of team selection to impress in the absence of established stars like Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka.

Kewell, Viduka and Everton's Tim Cahill are among several regulars missing because their clubs do not have to release them for the match, which is not held on a FIFA sanctioned date.

Kewell and Viduka are involved in European club competitions, as is coach Guus Hiddink with his side PSV Eindhoven.

"It gives the chance for all the players to show what they can do," Elrich told reporters in Bahrain.

"Everyone's trying to get into the World Cup squad and this is the opportunity for a lot of the players, especially the Australian-based players."

First and second choice goalkeepers Mark Schwarzer and Zeljko Kalac are also out, which means third-string keeper Ante Covic of Swedish club Hammarby is set to finally make his Socceroos debut.

Covic broke into the squad in August when Hiddink took over as coach, and despite his presence at all the team's training camps is yet to play a match for his country.

Bahrain, still reeling from its World Cup exit at the final hurdle to Trinidad and Tobago in its playoff late last year, has been struggling in recent matches.

Despite surprising by making the World Cup playoff, Bahrain has drawn 1-1 with Syria and lost 2-0 to Palestine in its past two friendly matches.

Meanwhile, SBS Television has confirmed it will televise the Australia-Bahrain match live around Australia starting at 2.15am Thursday (AEDT).

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP