Despite saying there would “definitely be changes” in the aftermath of the 3-1 friendly loss in Edinburgh, and labelling the match “unacceptable” and a “wake-up call,” the Socceroos coach defended his regulars, naming a largely familiar squad.

Besides injured pair Carl Valeri and Rhys Williams, none of the starters in Scotland have been excluded from the squad named to face Lebanon in a warm-up friendly and Jordan in a crucial World Cup Qualifier next month.

Valeri and Williams were both hurt in overnight matches for their clubs, suffering potentially serious hamstring and ankle ligament injuries respectively.

“I definitely wasn't satisfied with the performance however you have to put it into perspective,” Osieck said of the recent friendly.

“It was the very early stage of the season and for some of them the season hadn't started. You could see the players were physically not fit, some were pretty rusty and when you're not physically 100% your passing, your first touch and your technique is not at your best.

“Some players swapped clubs and had to get used to a different environment and some were quite scared to get injured because they want to have a healthy start with their new team.

“Now after Scotland there has been another three weeks where they can get into playing rhythm. So I'm pretty sure in Lebanon and Jordan it will look a lot better.”

Instead of swinging the axe, Osieck may look to mix things up with the inclusion of returning regular Tim Cahill, Matt McKay, Matt Spiranovic and Jade North, the latter Osieck said would start against Lebanon despite limited game time in the J. League.

The news was far from good for Herd, however, who Osieck said was left out on merit despite the 23-year-old playing an hour against Everton in the English Premier League on Saturday and scoring overnight against Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup.

“We had our scouting team there,” Osieck said. “Even though he played last night and scored from a very easy tap in he was not convincing enough to get a call.”

Uncapped Herd, who is also eligible for Scotland but has told the Socceroos coach he wants to play for Australia, has had an unfortunate run, with injuries forcing him to withdraw from a number of previous squads.

Osieck said of Herd’s earlier call-ups: “I wanted to have a look how he does within our group. I wasn't actually convinced about him. I wanted to open the door for him.

“Then he had to decline the invitation three times so I didn't get a chance to see him. Now being in Europe we had the chance to watch him play and that's what the result of our observation was. I think at the present time I don't see him in a position to help Australia.”

The German said he would start his preferred XI against Lebanon, meaning players such as James Holland and Adam Sarota are unlikely to see much game time after working their way back into contention with regular starts for their clubs.

Asked about Archie Thompson's continued selection, despite the lack of competitive club football in nearly six months, Osieck described the Melbourne Victory striker as “the exception to the rule,” noting his ability to make an instant impact off the bench. 

The Socceroos face Lebanon in a friendly on September 6 and Jordan for a crucial 2014 World Cup qualifier on September 11.