Smith, 23, copped plenty of criticism for his performance against Japan in Australia's 2-0 loss to their AFC rivals in last month's qualifier in Saitama. 

The full-back had only just played his first minutes for his club since February, and many questioned his selection in the squad. 

But Socceroos boss Postecoglou has stuck by Smith once again, with Rosenborg defender Alex Gersbach left out of the squad for the Syria tie completely, reportedly due to a small injury. However, Gersbach was included in his side's squad for their clash on the weekend. 

Socceroos fans took to social media to vent their frustrations at the selection on Wednesday, with the crucial two-legged World Cup play-off with Syria coming in just two weeks.