Australia will ramp up preparations for their January Asian Cup defence in UAE 2019 with a friendly against Kuwait in Kuwait City.
It will be coach Graham Arnold's first match in charge of the Socceroos - who last played in the FIFA World Cup against Peru under Bert van Marwijk.
The conditions in Kuwait will help the green and gold acclimatise to the harsh Middle Eastern climate - with the team also having a camp in the UAE in the days after.
Kuwait only had a two-year FIFA ban lifted 12 months ago which stopped them playing any international football.
The two teams last met in the opening match of the 2015 Asian Cup with the Socceroos winning 4-1 in Melbourne.
| Game | Kuwait v Australia |
| Date | Tuesday, October 16 AEDT |
| Time | 3:30am AEDT / 7.30pm LOCAL |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In Australia, the match can be watched live on Fox Sports through the Foxtel platform.
You can stream the game through either the Foxtel Go or Play platform - just bear in mind both services are subscription based.
| AUS TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Fox Sports | Foxtel GO/Play |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Kuwait players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Al-Rashidi, Al-Qallaf, Abdulghafoor |
| Defenders | Al-Matouq, Saeed, Ibrahim, Hamoud, Al-Hajeri, Al-Guhaidi, Fareeh, Khaled, Atiq, Al-Fadhel |
| Midfielders | Al Enezi, Al-Hubaiter, Harbi, Al-Ansari, Al-Dhefeeri, Mawi, Al-Azmi, Zayed, Al-Enezi, Al-Tararwa |
| Forwards | Al-Mutawa, AlMusawi |
All of Kuwait's side ply their trade in the Middle East - mainly in their own country.
Goalkeeper Khaled Al-Rashidi spent a season on the books of English Championship side Nottingham Forest.
| Position | Australia players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Vukovic, Jones, Langerak |
| Defenders | Risdon, Sainsbury, Milligan, Behich, Gersbach, Degenek, Deng, Jurman |
| Midfielders | Rogic, Luongo, Irvine, Dougall, Amini, Genreau |
| Forwards | Juric, Leckie, Arzani, Kruse, Mabil, Giannou |
The Socceroos have been hit with injuries to Premier League stars Mat Ryan and Aaron Mooy plus the retirement of Mile Jedinak - meaning extra opportunity will likely be handed to several fringe players.
Danny Vukovic is likely to earn first crack at the backup goalkeeping role, while the likes of Jackson Irvine and Massimo Luongo shoud get plenty of game time.
Promising talents Daniel Arzani, Awer Mabil, Denis Genreau and Thomas Deng will likely be given chances late in the game
Potential Australia XI: Vukovic; Behich, Sainsbury, Milligan, Risdon; Luongo, Irvine; Kruse, Rogic, Leckie; Giannou
Betting & Match Odds
Australia are hot favourites to win the game at $1.50, while an unlikely Kuwait victory is paying $6.
You can get on the draw at $4.33
*Odds correct at time of publishing
Match Preview
The Socceroos will be looking to gel with their new coach Arnold in their first match since their 2018 World Cup campaign.
It will be one of only three matches the team plays before their 2019 Asian Cup opening match - with other games scheduled against South Korea and Lebanon in November.
With the absence of Ryan and Mooy, several Socceroos players will be looking to take the opportunity to impress in front of their new gaffer.
It's likely that a few of the four uncapped players - Mabil, Genreau, Deng and Dougall - will get their first game time in green and gold.
The style of play employed by Arnold will be under heavy scrutiny, with the veteran coach in his second stint as Australian manager - having struggled in his first period between 2006-2007.
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