Victory for Australia would all but guarantee their place in South Africa next year with the Socceroos currently second in Group A with 10 points, just one behind Japan who have played a game more.

Kewell has played only a handful of games for club side Galatasaray after undergoing groin surgery in December but Verbeek is unconcerned about the lack of game time the 30-year-old has had and feels he is ready for a full 90 minutes in Sydney.

"If he starts I am sure he can play 90 minutes. Harry is fitter than ever," Verbeek said.

"He looks really fit, he is very eager to be part of the team.

"It’s the best Harry Kewell I’ve seen since I have been here, both physically and mentally. Turkey is very good for him at the moment."

However, Verbeek is nowhere near as confident about the fitness of Everton star Tim Cahill or Palermo midfielder Mark Bresciano, who are struggling with a calf strain and back injury respectively.

"Of course we’d like to have Timmy (Cahill) on the field because he is one of our key players,” he added.

"He is one of those players you like to have on the field so let’s wait for tomorrow.

“Are they (Cahill and Bresciano) ready to play 90 minutes? That’s another question."

However, Verbeek did not appear overly concerned about the fitness of the pair and is confident his side has the strength in depth to get the win.

"We’ve had a great camp and my feeling is the boys are ready. I have 21 players in the camp and I have enough to win the game," he said.

It’s a very different story for Uzbekistan, who have been forced to leave skipper Maksim Shatskikh at home while there is an injury cloud over reigning AFC Player of the Year Server Djeparov as well as striker Farhod Tadjiyev, who scored a hat-trick against Qatar on Saturday.

Coach Mirdjalal Kasimov is battling illness in the lead-up to the game and did not front the usual pre-match conference, compounding the visitors’ woes ahead of a game they will be desperate to win.

"He has an injury, but he seems to be getting over it," team manager Vadim Abramov said of Djeparov.

"We think he can be ready for the game, but it’s a close run thing, I’m hoping our doctors can get him fit and ready."

Abramov added that Tadjiyev, who left the field with a hamstring problem late in last Saturday’s match, would play some part.