Young stars Andrew Nabbout and Daniel Arzani likely to be handed World Cup opener honours

SOCCEROOS boss Bert van Marwijk has given his strongest indication yet that he is prepared to throw two World Cup debutants into the cauldron of Saturday’s clash with France in Kazan.

Australian coach Head Coach Bert van Marwijk speaks to the players during a training session at the Socceroos training base, Stadium Trudovye Rezervy, in the lead up to their opening match against France at the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Kazan, Russia, Wednesday, June 13, 2018. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins) NO ARCHIVING

SOCCEROOS boss Bert van Marwijk has given his strongest indication yet that he is prepared to throw World Cup debutants Andrew Nabbout and Daniel Arzani into the cauldron of Saturday’s clash with France in Kazan.

With van Marwijk’s starting XI all but nailed down, Nabbout is expected to start upfront against the French in just his fifth international, while van Marwijk signalled strongly that Arzani will feature off the bench after just 23 minutes of international experience so far.

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Andrew Nabbout is expected to start upfront against the French in just his fifth international.

The Dutchman is believed still to be weighing up whether to sideline captain Mile Jedinak to the bench or opt for his experience in the middle of the park, but the rest of his team seems set.

Nabbout seems certain to lead the line, a remarkable ascent for a player who van Marwijk plucked from the A-League just 10 weeks ago for his international debut, and who scored his goal for his country in the 4-0 defeat of the Czech Republic 10 days ago.

Later in the game he is likely be joined by Arzani, who scored his debut international goal on Saturday against Hungary as part of an effervescent 17-minute cameo off the bench which also saw him lay on a defence-splitting pass for the winning goal.

Jackson Irvine and Daniel Arzani train under the watchful eye of assistant coach Mark van Bommel at Stadium Trudovye Rezervy. Picture: Toby Zerna

Though Arzani has been pushed hard by teammates and the coaching staff in the pre-World Cup camp, van Marwijk said the Melbourne City flyer had come through the experience all the better for it.

“You saw in the last 20 minutes that Arzani played in Hungary, that’s the reason I took him in this squad,” van Marwijk said. “He can make the difference.

“He had some little difficulties at the beginning in our training camp and then he was growing. Then at that moment he was a little bit down. Now he’s feeling well.

“Everybody saw he can make the difference, that’s very important. He is a player who can help us maybe sometimes.”

Van Marwijk dismissed suggestions that Arzani’s confidence was overreaching, adding: “This is a good group. They call him kid. That says enough. He knows exactly his place.”

Nabbout has displaced Tomi Juric from the starting XI, his mobility and pace far more suited to the game plan van Marwijk has formulated for this tournament.

“Andrew Nabbout, I saw him in Newcastle playing (in the A-League in March),” said van Marwijk. “I’d heard a lot of information about him.

“I think he is also a player than can make the difference.”

Meanwhile the choice of Jedinak or Massimo Luongo in the centre of midfield alongside Aaron Mooy is likely to go down to the wire, with van Marwijk privately an admirer of Luongo but also cognisant of the need for experience in the Socceroos’ opening game.

Originally published as Young stars Andrew Nabbout and Daniel Arzani likely to be handed World Cup opener honours