Son-in-law Mark van Bommel will lead entourage appointed to assist Socceroos coach Bert van Marwijk

BERT van Marwijk will bring his son-in-law Mark van Bommel with him to the Socceroos’ World Cup campaign, but is expected to keep existing staff led by assistant coach Ante Milicic.

BERT van Marwijk will bring his son-in-law Mark van Bommel with him to the Socceroos’ World Cup campaign, but is expected to keep existing staff led by assistant coach Ante Milicic.

An extended entourage is expected to be appointed for Ange Postecoglou’s successor, including Dutch coach Roel Coumans and analyst Taco van den Velde, all of whom worked with van Marwijk at the helm of the Saudi Arabian team that they steered to automatic World Cup qualification.

Van den Velde put together the analysis of the Socceroos which is likely to form the basis of their immediate knowledge of the team, while Milicic will have an important role to play as the last remaining coach from Postecoglou’s regime.

NEW COACH: Dutchman gets the nod

Mark van Bommel will be brought in to assist with the Socceroos.

Peter Cklamovski quit to join Postecoglou at Yokohama F Marinos in Japan, but the medical and sports science units remain in place.

Van Bommel was part of his father-in-law’s Dutch team that got to the World Cup final in 2010, playing a crucial role in central midfield alongside Nigel de Jong, before becoming his assistant with Saudi Arabia after his retirement in 2013.

Though van Marwijk will arrive in Australia for a formal unveiling next week he seems certain to return to Europe quickly to scout players ahead of selecting a squad for the friendlies with Norway and Colombia in Oslo and London respectively in late March.

The squad for those games has to be named in just six weeks’ time, and they will be his only chance to assess the players in close up before and extended World Cup squad is named in early May.

Much of the planning for the World Cup itself has already been locked in, including the training base in Kazan, though the number of friendlies beforehand and exact opposition remain to be pinned down.

Australia will face France, Denmark and Panama at the World Cup, a familiar scenario for van Marwijk after his Dutch team was also grouped with Denmark in 2010.