Fresh legs for squad at home

THE stay-at-home Socceroos squad members believe they can be the secret weapon in Wednesday’s night’s must-win World Cup qualifying decider.

Mathew Leckie, Robbie Kruse (above) and Mark Milligan were spared the trip to Honduras through a combination of suspension and injury.

The players held secret training sessions at AAMI Park, led by Melbourne Victory and former Socceroos conditioning guru Anthony Crea, monitored by national team physio Nino La Scala.

Milligan, who could slot into midfield or defence at ANZ Stadium, said the minicamp was flawless and the fresh legs could be telling.

“It’s a strength of ours not just now, but previously too. This is a bit different with the three of us in Australia,’’ Milligan said. “There might only be a few of us but it feels like that camp atmosphere now.

“It’s good that even though we didn’t travel, the setup and information we’re still getting from the national team, from (sports scientist) Craig Duncan, from (physio) Les (Gelis), from the boss (Postecoglou), on what we need to be doing and what he wants. That just sums up the way that we’ve set up and the atmosphere we’ve created in the system.’’

Leckie and Kruse stayed in Germany to overcome injuries before arriving in Melbourne on Thursday.

“For sure (it was justified). The boys that are here will be buzzing on Wednesday,’’ Leckie said. “There was no sense in going to Honduras. Coming here made much more sense. We get to adapt to the time zone a few days ahead of them.

“The boss likes to get fresh players on. In the end it helps especially when you’re getting into the last parts of the game.

“It’s good and the depth of the squad is what you need.”