Palermo midfielder Mark Bresciano's lead up to this year's World Cup has not been ideal. The 30-year old Australia international has been battling a nagging back injury and was unable to take the field for the Serie A club during March, leaving him in doubt in regards to his fitness for the Socceroos squad.

Bresciano has made just 18 league appearances for the Rosanero this term but very few of them have come in 2010 which must have national team coach Pim Verbeek slightly worried.

He is an instrumental player in Australia's midfield and if you add his absence at club level to the fact that Harry Kewell has not played for Galatasaray for some time and Blackburn Rovers' Vince Grella is battling constant injuries, the Aussies need some good luck to either have these players back and firing or find some others in the next few months.