As few as four A-League players are likely to win selection in the final 18-man Socceroos squad coach Pim Verbeek announces on Tuesday for the World Cup qualifying opener against Qatar.

Verbeek is set to keep faith with his jet-lagged European stars - many of whom are scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on first-class flights late on Monday night or Tuesday - for Wednesday night's important clash.

With all 14 of the senior European-based players in or on their way to camp having escaped injury in weekend club matches, there would appear just four places in the squad up for grabs for the A-League players who have spent the past week training in Melbourne.

Reserve goalkeeper Ante Covic, Queensland Roar skipper Craig Moore and World Cup hero John Aloisi look to have sewn up three of those vacancies.

Melbourne Victory duo Kevin Muscat and Rodrigo Vargas could vie for the other place as defensive cover.

Two A-League players who probably would have made the cut - Mark Milligan and Joel Griffiths - have sustained injuries at the training camp.

Centre-back Milligan has already been ruled out - returning to his club Sydney FC after breaking his nose in a weekend training match.

Newcastle attacker Griffiths didn't train on Sunday because of a hamstring injury and looks unlikely to be risked despite his outstanding A-League form.

So for most of the European contingent, it will be a case of arriving in Melbourne, meeting the coach for the first time, then being asked to play.

Verbeek has only spoken to his European-based players by telephone - those who arrived in Melbourne on Monday meeting the Dutchman face-to-face for the first time.

Netherlands-based midfielder Luke Wilkshire was among those who trained for the first time under the new coach on Monday, but the reports he had heard about the 51-year-old from Verbeek's homeland were promising.

"I've only spoken briefly to Pim (before today). I know a couple of people who have known him and played under him and they speak highly of him as a person as well as a trainer," Wilkshire said.

"They said he was a very good guy, and he's direct, which is important."

Verbeek's directness is not in question.

Already he has publicly written off the A-League as not being good enough to provide a satisfactory pool of talent to stack his squad for the Qatar match, and left talismanic Harry Kewell in England despite his availability for the game.

But his tactical style is likely to closely echo that of former Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink.

That means Verbeek can call on up to nine outfield players for Wednesday night's match who played at the World Cup under Hiddink and have a familiarity with the Dutch style of play.

The only minor concern for the Socceroos was Celtic goal machine Scott McDonald icing an ankle after training, but he is expected to shrug that off and press for a starting berth up front.

Possible Socceroos squad: Mark Schwarzer, Ante Covic, Craig Moore, Kevin Muscat, Lucas Neill, Michael Thwaite, Brett Emerton, David Carney, Luke Wilkshire, Jacob Burns, Mark Bresciano, Jason Culina, Tim Cahill, Carl Valeri, Brett Holman, John Aloisi, Scott McDonald, Josh Kennedy.

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