Popovic handed defender Jason Geria (pictured below) a surprise Socceroos call-up, his first since 2016, ahead of November’s clashes with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as well as handing 20-year-old Sydney FC defender Hayden Matthews his debut Australia appearance.

And the 2014 AFC Coach of the Year confirmed the door remained open to those beyond the existing squad provided they could meet his demands.

“We may blood someone else but they’ll have to earn it and deserve to be with the Socceroos,” said Popovic, who has steered Australia to one win and three draws in four games since replacing Graham Arnold as coach in October.

“We’re open certainly to the idea of bringing in players, but they have to fit in with the style of play that we’d like to play.

“We’re looking, we’re actively searching and at any moment someone can come through and have a great period of games and surprise everyone and get into the Socceroos.”

The Australians are attempting to secure a sixth consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance and will do so with a top two finish in Group C. Japan lead the standings on 16 points with Australia second on seven, one ahead of Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China PR.

The nations finishing in third and fourth will progress to a further round of qualifying while the fifth and sixth placed finishers will be eliminated.

Popovic’s side face Indonesia and their new coach Patrick Kluivert in Sydney on March 20 before travelling to Hangzhou to take on Branko Ivankovic’s China PR five days later in a crucial window for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup™ winners.

“I’m learning quickly every game is, you could say, a must-win match,” said Popovic. “There’s not a lot of time in international football to think about games too far ahead.

“We know that March is the most important. We also know that in June there could be a defining game.”

Popovic’s methods have boosted the team after a disappointing opening to the campaign under Arnold in September, when the Australians lost to Bahrain before drawing with Indonesia, and the ex-Western Sydney Wanderers man has no plans to change his approach.

“Our ideas will be the same in terms of how we want to play,” he said. “We’ve had a longer break now between November and March before we meet again so we’ll have to reinforce some of those ideas that we have in how we want to play and remind the players as we’re just recently a new group together.

“I’ve enjoyed it. It’s a different challenge for me. In club football you get to train week after week and you’ve got time to sit and see the progression of individuals and as a group. This is very much one or two training sessions and you’ve got to get it spot on.

“You can’t waste a session. Your messages have to be clear and concise. You can’t waste meetings. You’re dealing with players coming in who are jetlagged after a difficult game on the weekend.

“You’ve got to consider all these factors, but I just take it on as a challenge, as a privilege to be Socceroos coach and not dwell on anything that has happened before, bring across our ideas in how we want to play and trust that we’ll get the job done and get to the World Cup.”