Hiddink to limit changes

Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink is unlikely to make too many changes to his starting XI, when they take on The Netherlands in their crucial World Cup preparation match on Sunday.

Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink is unlikely to make too many changes to his starting XI, when they take on The Netherlands in their crucial World Cup preparation match on Sunday.

The match is an important one for both teams in the countdown to the finals and for Australia it will act as a significant indicator towards their prospects during the World Cup.

The Dutch team is currently ranked No.2 in the latest FIFA World Rankings, a fact not lost on Hiddink and the players, and all agree it will be a big test.

"I won-t make many, many changes," Hiddink said in his first official press conference since arriving in his native Holland.

"Tomorrow, we play the other players against the amateurs. On Sunday, most of the players who are close to the line-up (against Greece), they will start and in the second half of course, I can make a few changes.

"It will be a test for us, to see if we can show some resistance in the pressing way of their play. It will be interesting to see if we have grown tactically in the past few months. Whatever the result might be, our main focus, like I said in Melbourne, is on the first game, whatever the positive or negative result might be."

Hiddink indicated that even with the return to full training of key players Tim Cahill and John Aloisi that they will only likely get game time off the bench.

"They are almost now recovered from their injury," Hiddink said.

"Timmy is close, Johnny is fully okay; it will be good that they participate in some part of the game. It-s not a promise from me to them nor to you, but it-s good to have some players to have some rhythm in these tough games. So it-s a good possibility."

Hiddink wouldn-t be drawn onto the issue of the goalkeeping situation, and would not confirm whether Zeljko Kalac or Mark Schwarzer would get nod for the match.

"I am not telling now, because I always like to tell the players first. I know them and I know their abilities; they-re close and we-ll see who will start on the first game in Japan."