Osieck: Bresciano ready to return

A recent heart-to-heart with Australia coach Holger Osieck has convinced midfielder Mark Bresciano to end his 18-month exile from the national team. Estranged by choice and circumstance from the Socceroos since the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, Bresciano has been named in Osieck's 19-man squad for next Wednesday's third-round FIFA World Cup™ Asian Zone qualifier against Saudi Arabia at AAMI Park. Osieck believes the 32-year-old is mentally ready to add to his 57 appearances for his country since his debut back in 2001. "On our last commitment in the Middle East, I had a chance to have a chat with him and we could sort out a lot of things - a lot of stuff that I wasn't aware of," Osieck said. "It was a very good conversation and due to the fact that he plays regularly for his club team (Al Nasr in the United Arab Emirates), I decided to bring him in and see what he can provide on the pitch for us. Mark has been around the block for quite a while and I still expect from him that he can help our team." Osieck was non-committal when asked whether Bresciano would be in the selection frame for the 2014 World Cup. "What happens in another two-and-a-half years, in football it's eternity," he said. "I just have to focus on the actual situation and what may be after is a different story."