The five questions facing Tony Popovic before Australia’s round of 32 showdown

Dallas: In his nearly two years in charge of the Socceroos, Tony Popovic is yet to name an unchanged line-up. You’d think he’s unlikely to start now, in the biggest match of his coaching career, the most winnable World Cup knockout game Australia have ever been in … but that’s probably what he wants you to think.

As you’ve probably learned by now, everything is on the table with Popovic. He picks his teams based on who they’re facing, and on information he has that we don’t. Every game has a different plan, and every tactical tweak has had a specific purpose.

And with Egypt presenting a vastly different challenge to last opponents Paraguay, there is plenty for Popovic to weigh up before Saturday’s (4am AEST) round of 32 showdown in Texas.

What is the plan for Mohamed Salah?

Will he, won’t he? He probably will play after making his return to training with his teammates on Tuesday, but there’s no way Salah’s hamstring will be 100 per cent. If there’s a time to take risks, though, it’s not at a World Cup – especially with a player so critical to the way that the Pharaohs operate, tactically and emotionally.

Salah has had a direct hand in three of Egypt’s five goals so far at this tournament. He’s also their captain, talisman and spiritual leader. But the Socceroos need to be careful not to focus too much on him, because he’s not their only danger: Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush and Trezeguet, the former Aston Villa forward, will punish them if they let Salah dominate their thinking.

“You’ve got to stay attentive for the whole time that you’re marking them, because they can make something out of nothing,” said defender Alessandro Circati. “A half chance they can create into anything that they want. It’s really about being in control and being able to limit the things that they do and the chances they can create.”

The good news is that, so far, Australia’s defence has been one of the stingiest at this World Cup; according to Opta, they conceded an expected goals-against value of just 0.06 xG per shot taken against them in the group stage, which is the second-best average of any team, and behind only Spain (0.039 xG). Translation: when opponents aim for goal against the Socceroos, it’s usually from a position or situation in which they’re unlikely to score.

“As a creative kind of player, I still think that zero [a clean sheet] is the most important,” said midfielder Ajdin Hrustic. “I always say: if you don’t concede, you won’t lose. The defenders will do their part, we’ll help, and then when we can, we’ll try to step up.”

Of the two goals the Socceroos have let in, both against the United States, one was an own goal conceded off Cameron Burgess, and the other came from a fortunate deflection off the second phase of a free kick.

How much of the ball will the Socceroos want?

Australia’s performance against Paraguay was their best with the ball at this World Cup, in terms of both volume of possession (they had 56 per cent – the highest amount since they faced Cameroon in March) and their ability to control the match. They dictated territory and tempo in a way that Socceroos sides rarely have at World Cups, if ever, and proved that they are more than just a one-dimensional, counter-attacking team – or at least they can be when they want to be.

“We showed that we can dominate a game with the ball,” said attacker Connor Metcalfe. “It was probably our best performance with the ball, and we were calm … looking forward, I think we’ll be aiming to do the same thing.”

But will that be the right approach against Egypt? The Pharaohs like to come forward and attack with that surging sense of unpredictability that is characteristic of Arabic nations. And that could mean, not unlike against Turkey in their opening game, that Australia might be better served by sitting off and picking their moments to attack with precision, pace and power.

“I think they will press. I think they will push out forward, and I think there will be a bit of space,” midfielder Ajdin Hrustic said. “You’ll have to find a space. Some are between lines, some are behind, some are somewhere else. This is something that we’re going to prepare for.”

Will Mohamed Toure return up front?

Toure told reporters in the mixed zone after being left on the bench against Paraguay that he was fit to play. But it was a curious tactical decision by Popovic to overlook Australia’s most natural No.9 in that match for Irankunda, who put in a tireless shift up front but struggled to find the space to do his usual thing while surrounded by three big centre-backs.

Where Toure prefers to play off the shoulder of the defender, Irankunda does offer something different with his tendency to drop into midfield to receive the ball. For his size, he’s also very impressive in the air. But it’s possible the Socceroos actually lose more than they gain with this set-up, considering how it restricts Irankunda. Toure hasn’t played since half-time of Australia’s 2-0 loss to the United States; it will have been two weeks since then when they take on Egypt, and surely, he is fresh and raring to go.

There’s also Tete Yengi, who’s a completely different profile of striker again.

“It’s just the coach’s decision,” said Yengi. “Maybe one game he wants to play Mo, maybe one time he wants to play me. Depends how the game’s going, I guess. He has his thoughts and his opinions. We’re both ready to do the work that we have to do. We’ll just keep working hard and let the boss decide.”

Does the Jordan Bos experiment continue … and if so, who rides shotgun with him?

Jacob Italiano’s injury triggered a radical reshuffle in Australia’s defence with Bos switched over to right wing-back – a position he’d never played before for the national team. It enabled him to cut inside onto his preferred left foot more easily, and in tandem with another lefty in Cristian Volpato, who drifted into the same pockets, it caused havoc for Paraguay. But their patterns became a bit predictable and, for all the threats they posed, they did not create an actual breakthrough.

There are two factors here to consider. Firstly, whether the Socceroos feel they can afford to have a wing-back in Bos operating as an auxiliary winger on one side when Egypt’s three best players, Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush and Trezeguet, are all comfortable out wide. Popovic may prefer a more defensively minded option, such as Jason Geria or Kai Trewin, on the right instead of having Bos push forward and Alessandro Circati shuffle over to cover the space.

But if he does persist with Bos, there might be a better partner for him – perhaps Ajdin Hrustic, whose instincts are more reserved, or maybe someone else who will make the opposite movements to Volpato, like a right-footed winger who hugs the touchline, to create different angles for Egypt’s defenders to think about.

“Our boss knows what he’s doing,” said Hrustic. “We all have trust in him … he’s someone who listens to his gut.”

Can the Socceroos sharpen up on set-pieces?

Ask any foreign player or coach about Australia’s strengths, and they will inevitably mention the height of their central defenders and the threats they pose at set pieces. It’s true, but it’s a little outdated, because the Socceroos haven’t scored from a dead-ball situation since they arrived in North America – and when it comes to Harry Souttar, the most obvious aerial target, he hasn’t put away a header since the group stage of the last Asian Cup against Indonesia two and a half years ago.

Souttar (198 centimetres), Cameron Burgess (194 centimetres), Lucas Herrington (194 centimetres) and Alessandro Circati (191 centimetres) will all tower over Egypt’s tallest likely starter in defence, Rami Rabia (186 centimetres) – so there is an obvious advantage to be leveraged here, and a serious weapon yet to be deployed, but delivery must improve. None of the Socceroos’ set-pieces resulted in clear-cut opportunities against Paraguay, and none of the three corners they had – sent in by Volpato – found an Australian head.

“The main thing with set-pieces is we have some guys that are very good, and they have good timing in the air, and you look and how often you can get first contact,” assistant coach Hayden Foxe said.

“And with Harry and the certain other players, we get first contact. So you’re keeping the ball there. Now it’s about that next movement, that next player being proactive. But if you can get that first contact, it gives you a chance. We want to try and score on set-pieces, of course, and it’s something we can definitely improve on.”