Francis Leach and Ed Wyatt will discuss the Socceroo squad in an exclusive BPL podcast on Tuesday shortly after the announcement.

It's the one question Socceroos boss Pim Verbeek has had rattling round inside his head for the better part of a year now as he finalizes his squad for the FIFA World Cup finals, which start in just over a month in South Africa.

Verbeek will name a provisional 27-man squad next Tuesday which will then be trimmed to 23 as the team heads into camp ahead of the tournament. As the moment of truth draws near for players on the periphery of the squad, the next few days will be nervously spent awaiting their fate.

It seems that the core group of players who took Australia through to the round of 16 in Germany in 2006 will remain the bedrock of the squad for this campaign as well.

Four years older, a little slower and certainly battle scarred, it will be a massive test for them to produce the same physical and mental commitment to the cause as they did in those heady days of June 2006. It's this lack of a breakthrough from generation next to challenge the incumbency of the established players that is of real concern for Australian football in the long term.

Of those who shone brightly in Germany, Tim Cahill, Luke Wilkshire and Brett Emerton are the only three who you could say have actually gone on to improve their status in the game.

Cahill's exploits at Everton have made him one of the most damaging attacking midfielders in the Premier League. Since making his debut for the Socceroos in 2004, his 37 appearances have produced 19 vital goals. If Australia has any hope of progressing in South Africa he will need to add to the tally.

Emerton's value and experience can't be understated. In the last few years he has become the stabilising force on the right side for the Socceroos. His ability to deliver quality crosses and arrive in the box and ask questions of opposition defences gives the team another vital midfield attacking outlet.

Wilkshire was a surprise selection by Guus Hiddink for the opening game against Japan in Kaiserslautern in 2006 but since then he has become indispensable. Currently of Dynamo Moscow, his big engine and durability are vital to a team that has a number of players with question marks over their fitness.

The recent sick list is a worry. Combative midfielder Vince Grella has had an injury plagued two seasons at Ewood Park with Blackburn Rovers. His good mate Mark Bresciano has been plagued by a back problem whilst playing for Italian side Palermo. Having undergone surgery on a disc problem, he hopes to be fit enough for World Cup duty. Harry Kewell has just recovered from groin surgery to return to action for Turkish giants Galatasaray. Verbeek has already been robbed of an option at the back (where resources are modest) with the news that Leeds United skipper Patrick Kisnorbo has had to shelve his World Cup dreams due to injury.

Verbeek would have been heartened to hear that veteran Scott Chipperfield has found some touch, scoring eight times since returning from injury in January for Swiss team FC Basel. "Chipper" will be a vital part of shoring up the left side of defence and midfield. David Carney, who has often been used in that forward role, has struggled for game time at title-winning FC Twente in Holland.

He's not the only Socceroo doing plenty of time on the pine. Brett Holman finds himself in that situation at AZ Alkmaar whilst Nicky Carle watches on from the bench at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace battle to stay in the Coca-Cola Championship in England. Jade North is in the same boat in Norway as is young defender Matthew Spiranovic for Japanese giants Urawa Reds. The list could go on. It is a major headache for Verbeek that just when he needs his best players match sharp and ready to go, many of them haven't had a reason to take the tracksuit top off for months.

And will Verbeek take a punt on youth?

Former Brisbane Roar Youngster Tommy Oar was wheeled out recently to model the new Socceroos shirt. It'll be a bold move to pick the teenager for the big show, but he'd be better for the experience. And you never know what the audacity of youth might produce.

Between the sticks Australia is blessed that Mark Schwarzer's appetite for the game is undiminished. Schwarzer has enjoyed another stellar season in England with Fulham, and he will be the first name on Verbeek's team sheet. The Boss seems to have a preference for Michael Petkovic as his number two stopper. I'd make a case for Adelaide United's Eugene Galekovic as the third keeper. Galekovic has been outstanding for Adelaide United both in the A-League and in Asia. He has the right temperament to deal with the big occasion if it should come his way.

With the defence built around veteran's Craig Moore and Lucas Neill, Verbeek knows he needs to find defensive cover he can trust. Spiranovic remains an option, and I would punt on former Sydney FC man Simon Colosimo, now with Melbourne Heart. His recent form has been fantastic, his A-League Grand Final performance the best of the lot. At 31 years of age he brings maturity and strength to the role and can be relied on to put in a shift if asked. North might also fit that criteria, and when asked to do so in the recent past he's done the job.

Josh Kennedy carries the weight of expectation up front, but with the Socceroos' rather anaemic scoring record of late, another striker needs to be found - and fast. Scott McDonald seemed to have his papers stamped by Verbeek after failing to score in his 15 starts in the national shirt. He's still finding the net for coach Gordon Strachan, this time at Middlesbrough, and must still be in the boss' plans.

Nikkita Rukavytsya has the sort of pace that gives defenders sleepless nights and his recent form, on loan to Belgian side Roeselare from Dutch champs FC Twente, has impressed Verbeek.

It will be a special thing to be selected to go to the World Cup Finals and play for your country.

Really though, receiving the phone call from the boss is only the start of the tough work that lies ahead if you're hell bent on turning your World Cup dream into a reality.

MY FINAL SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS

MARK SCHWARZER (FULHAM)

MICHAEL PETKOVIC (SIVASSPOR)

EUGENE GALEKOVIC (ADELAIDE UNITED)

DEFENDERS

CRAIG MOORE (BRISBANE ROAR)

LUCAS NEILL ( GALATASARY)

LUKE WILKSHIRE (DYNAMO MOSCOW)

SCOTT CHIPPERFIELD ( FC BASEL)

SIMON COLOSIMO (MELBOURNE HEART)

RHYS WILLIAMS (MIDDLESBROUGH)

JADE NORTH (TROMSO)

MATTHEW SPIRANOVIC (URAWA REDS)

MIDFIELDERS

TIM CAHILL (EVERTON)

BRETT HOLMAN ( AZ ALKMAAR)

BRETT EMERTON (BLACKBURN ROVERS)

VINCE GRELLA (BLACKBURN ROVERS)

MARK BRESCIANO (PALERMO)

JASON CULINA (GOLD COAST UNITED)

DAVID CARNEY (FC TWENTE)

TOMMY OAR (UTRECHT)

FORWARDS

HARRY KEWELL (GALATASARAY)

JOSH KENNEDY ( NOGOYA GRAMPUS)

SCOTT MCDONALD (MIDDLESBROUGH)

NIKKITA RUKAVYTSYA (ROESELARE)