Australian starlet Arzani ready to answer World Cup call

AFP  |  Kazan 

teenager is ready to go into battle for the Socceroos as they seek to rescue their campaign against

The 19-year-old Arzani made his debut on Saturday when he came off the bench late in the 2-1 loss to in

Australia's performance in that game helped change perceptions that the Socceroos are simply a physical side lacking technical talent and attacking ambition, said defender

But despite the positives, Van Marwijk's men desperately need a win against in on Thursday and Arzani's highly rated skills could add zest to their attack.

Although not expected to start, expectations are growing that the Iranian-born teenager -- who scored his debut goal in this month's 2-1 friendly win against -- could be given a bigger chance to showcase his skills.

"I feel like I'm ready, especially given the intensive training camp we had in Antalya, where we were training two times a day most days," said Arzani, mentored by 38-year-old

"I think I've given myself the best opportunity. I've tried my hardest and that's all you can do. It's just up to the boss now."

Despite a solid defensive display against France, the Socceroos need to find a way to sharpen their attack and Arzani could offer the solution.

"If you're going into the game and it's a must-win, the only is to make sure you're attacking more and creating more chances," he said.

Sainsbury said the Socceroos remain upbeat after the match despite the their defeat.

"Honestly, coming away from the France game it's sort of refuelled us knowing we can tango with the best," he said.

He said had "moved on" from conceding the World Cup's Referee-assisted goal, but hoped there would be less controversy in the games to come.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Mon, June 18 2018. 18:40 IST