Kewell and Emerton returned to the A-League amid much fanfare at the star of the season but have been slow to get going with their respective sides Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC.

Osieck, keen to seal qualification as soon as possible, had no hesitation in recalling them to his 23-man squad.

But the Socceroos boss would not guarantee either player a starting berth, admitting he expected more from two of his biggest stars.

"I ask a lot more of them other than they have produced so far," he told a press conference in Sydney on Wednesday.

"I didn't say (I was) disappointed (by their form), I said I expect a lot more, I think there's a slight distinction there to be made"

"There's no guarantee (they'll play) at all, I'm pretty much performance-related. But knowing their value and what they can bring to the team I invited them."