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Oman are last in Group D after a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia and a 3-0 defeat at home to Thailand so far in the third round of qualifying.

They have been dismissed in some quarters as likely pushovers, but Australia captain Neill expects his players to be on their guard at the ANZ Stadium.

"They're very difficult, we know they can cause problems because of the pace they have and the speed they can break at on the counter," Neill said of an Oman team coached by former Lyon and Rangers boss Paul Le Guen.

"We have to be playing to our potential or as close to our potential as we can on the night, otherwise we could find ourselves in an embarrassing situation."

Australia warmed up for the qualifier by thrashing Malaysia 5-0 in a friendly on Friday, with Josh Kennedy and Alex Brosque netting two goals apiece and Luke Wilkshire also on target.

But the Socceroos will be going into the match without Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton who were allowed to stay with their new clubs and make their A-League debuts at the weekend.

Australia are also without ever-present talismans Tim Cahill and Mark Schwarzer who were dropped from the squad after picking up injuries in the English Premier League.

As far as Neill is concerned though, the Socceroos are still in the best shape possible going into their next match.

"Are we ready? Of course we're ready, that's why we've come here to play this game," he said. "We had a good hit out on Friday night, everybody has confidence, everybody wants to play."

"We have a goal, and that's to qualify out of this group, which means we have to win games."

The two matches represent a quick turnaround for veteran Neill, who has only made three appearances for new club Al Jazira since joining the United Arab Emirates Pro League side in August.

But the 33-year-old has no doubts about his ability to perform twice in quick succession.

"(I) feel great ... it's not surprising for me to encounter two games in a week," Neill said. "I've done it on numerous occasions, this is no different.

"And I don't need much motivation. It's another chance to lead the team out in a World Cup qualifier.

"Any knocks or bruises or fatigue I might feel will soon go out the window. But I don't actually feel any of that."

Neill is aware Oman have the potential to frustrate Australia if they take to the field with a defensive mindset, but he backed the team to overcome any tactical obstacles they encounter during the clash.

"It's not always easy to play at home because often teams will play with a different style or a different formation to perhaps what they would at home," Neill said. "So there's a little bit of chess that's going to be played.

"But we have to look at our strengths. We've already analysed our opposition, we know their strengths, which we need to nullify.

"We know their weakness we which need to expose and I'm sure they've done the same."


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