Brett Emerton was a spectator when a cruel Italian penalty knocked the Socceroos out of the 2006 World Cup, but his desire to atone matches any of his teammates.

Emerton, a starter in each of the three group games in Germany four years ago, missed the second round knockout clash with the eventual champions through suspension.

After picking up two yellow cards to be sent off in the final group game against Croatia, he was forced into a passive role for the Italy match, in which a controversial late goal ended the Socceroos' gallant campaign.

The experienced midfielder said while overall that tournament remained a career highlight, he was keen to help engineer a more satisfying conclusion next month in South Africa, both personally and for the team.

"It obviously didn't end in the right way for me last time round, but obviously we still had a good tournament and obviously fond memories from Germany," Emerton said.

"Maybe for me it's a chance to go and put things right.

"And obviously it's a great opportunity once again to compete in another World Cup."

The 32-year-old Socceroos stalwart is one of numerous regulars who skipped Monday night's farewell match against New Zealand at the MCG, in his case because of a calf strain.

But he said it was not expected to restrict his preparation in South Africa.

"It's nothing serious," he said.

"There was a possibility I was going to play on Monday night, but we decided against it."

While other first-choice players are also overcoming fitness niggles, Emerton said there was no reason for concern, with the program tailored to ensure all players are in peak condition for their opening match, against Germany on June 13.

"The fitness is very good, we're trying to make sure we don't do a little too much with some of the players, making sure everyone's fit and raring to go for that first game," he said.

"So if you see some players not training or missing sessions sometimes, they're not necessarily injured, just getting the balance right."

Though the state of the Socceroos' squad was not bothering him, Emerton admitted the quality of the group Australia has been drawn in - also including Ghana and Serbia - meant they could not afford any setbacks.

"It's a little bit harder (than in 2006), I think obviously with the respect we've earned in world football as well, I think teams won't take us lightly," he said.

"So it's going to be a difficult group and we're going to have to be at our absolute best to get out of it."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP