The German said it was simply an opportunity to give some on-field time to players who have been around for “quite some time”.

Despite his protestations the 19-player squad for the international friendly at Hwaseong includes five uncapped players and a healthy sprinkling of A-League talent.

One noticeable absentee, however, is Uruguayan-raised striker Richard Porta now playing in the UAE Pro League with Dubai SC.

Osieck revealed that a mountain of red tape could be the biggest obstacle standing between the 29-year-old and a Socceroos call-up.

“I have to make one thing perfectly clear”, Osieck told the FFA website. “We are well aware what he is doing, that he's scoring quite a number of goals (for Dubai SC), and he's doing well.

“We did some scouting, (assistant) Robbie Hooker went there, now (technical director) Han Berger is there and is going to have a second look at him.

“We have contacted him, but the situation is that he represented Uruguay at under-20 level, in the South American championships, so that makes it a bit difficult for us.

“In order for him to be eligible for us, we have to go through a lot of paperwork, we have to approach the Uruguayan association to see if he’s eligible, then we have to go to the AFC, or FIFA.

“So it's not an easy one. First of all, he has to commit 100 per cent to Australia, and we then take the necessary steps.”

Included in the squad is Red Star Belgrade’s Eli Babalj, who is also eligible to play for Serbia, but Oscieck said there was no doubt about his desire to don the green and gold.

“I can tell you he's very passionate, because when he got approached, got confronted with the possibility of joining our group, he was over the moon,” he said of the former Melbourne Heart player.

“That already indicates his passion to play for us. Whether he's eligible to play for Serbia or not, it doesn't matter. First of all we have to call him in, give him an opportunity, and see how he fits.

“He's more than the traditional type of attacker. Physically, he's very strong, he knows where the goal stands, he's a good finisher, he's a bit different.

"Maybe not as mobile as Alex Brosque for instance, but he has his strong points. If we put everything into the scale, we can benefit from that.”

Former Adelaide United star Matthew Leckie also makes a long awaited return to the national team with the Osieck confirming the dynamic FSV Frankfurt player has “always been on our radar”.

“He's doing well with his new club and after some injury problems, he's back in the team, a regular starter, so it's a good opportunity for me to have a look at him,” the coach said.

The squad includes five A-League players: Aziz Behich (Heart), Tom Rogic (Mariners), Mathew Ryan (Mariners), Michael Thwaite (Glory) and perennial Socceroo Archie Thompson (Victory) with Osieck acknowledging a “boom” in the local game.

“The crowds are rising, people are turning up in big numbers, which definitely does good to the game," he said.

"Of course when the atmosphere is better, the incentive for the players is a good one. They get more challenged, and that definitely raises the level of play.

“It was a pretty good start, we are still pretty fresh in the season. There have been a number of really excellent games, and the number of call-ups is a good indication of that.”

The Socceroos will face off against a South Korean side made up almost entirely of K-League players but the national coach said it would be a mistake to write them off as easy beats.

“The K-League is definitely one of the stronger leagues in Asia,” he added.

“I have seen a couple of games, I have seen the Korean team on a couple of occasions, and in recent qualifiers there has hardly been anybody from overseas.

“In the Asian Champions League they do well (Ulsan Hyundai are in the final this weekend), so they are pretty decent. They mostly pick their players from the K-League, so I definitely expected a strong team.”