Preview: Scotland v Qantas Socceroos

Easter Road will host Scotland and the Qantas Socceroos as Holger Osieck's side prepare for their final phase of World Cup qualifying in September.

Date: Thursday August 16 AEST (Wednesday August 15 BST) Kick-off: 05:00 AEDT (20:00 BST) Venue: Easter Road, Edinburgh Head-to-head: Played 7, Scotland 5 wins, Australia 1 win, 1 draw

Previous Meeting: Australia 2-0 Scotland, International friendly, Glasgow, November 15 2000

Past five matches: Scotland: United States 5-1 Scotland, International friendly, Florida, May 27 2012 Slovenia 1-1 Scotland, International friendly, Koper, March 1 2012 Cyprus 1-2 Scotland, International friendly, Larnaca, November 12 2011 Spain 3-1 Scotland, European Championship Qualifier, Alicante, October 12 2011 Liechtenstein 0-1 Scotland, European Championship Qualifier, Vaduz, October 9 2011

Australia: Australia 1-1 Japan, World Cup Qualifier, Brisbane, June 12 2012 Oman 0-0 Australia, World Cup Qualifier, Muscat, June 8 2012 Denmark 2-0 Australia, International friendly, Copenhagen, June 3 2012 Australia 4-2 Saudi Arabia, World Cup Qualifier, Melbourne, February 29 2012 Thailand 0-1 Australia, World Cup Qualifier, Bangkok, November 15 2011

Analysis: Easter Road will host Scotland and the Qantas Socceroos as Holger Osieck's side prepare for their final phase of World Cup qualifying in September.

The home of Scottish Premier League outfit Hibernian is the venue for the two nations renewing a rivalry going back 45 years.

Australia first met Scotland in the Europeans tour down under in 1967, with the Scots sending an under strength squad comprising of mostly under 23 internationals.

Scotland went on to win all three tour matches against an opposition featuring the iconic Johnny Warren and Ray Baartz.

The last encounter between the two was 12 years ago at Hampden Park where Australia recorded a 2-0 win courtesy of goals from Brett Emerton and David Zdrillic.

A lot has changed since then and the Socceroos head to Scotland keen to experiment with a number of players ahead of a friendly against Lebanon in Beirut on September 6 before travelling to Jordan for their World Cup qualifier on September 11.

Ryan McGowan (Hearts, Scotland) and Jason Davidson (Heracles, Holland) have been handed their first Socceroos call-ups on the back of impressive performances at club level.

However, Aston Villa's Chris Herd, who was set for his long-awaited debut after withdrawing on two previous occasions, will now miss the match due to a quadriceps strain.

But it's good news for Middlesbrough striker Scott McDonald, who will make his first appearance in the green and gold since playing an influential role in the Socceroos' 2-0 victory over Wales just over a year ago.

Knowing how important it is to stake a claim for a starting spot up front, the former Celtic marksman is determined to make the most of his opportunity in the absence of Josh Kennedy.

"I'm absolutely delighted to be back, it's been a while since I've been a part of the squad," McDonald said.

"I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into it and hopefully making an impression to try and stake a claim to keep my spot in the squad."

Middlesbrough captain Rhys Williams will also play a part in the fixture.

Skipper Lucas Neill, who is still looking for a new club, retains his place, while Archie Thompson is the Hyundai A-League's sole representative.

But there is no room for the club-less Harry Kewell and recent New York Red Bulls signing Tim Cahill has opted to sit out the clash.

For Craig Levein's Scotland, who return to home soil for the first time since September 2011, this will be his last opportunity to see the squad in action before World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Macedonia at Hampden Park next month.

The 46th-ranked nation have been forced to make a number of late changes ahead of the clash, with Blackburn striker David Goodwille, Leeds United's Ross McCormack and Rangers' Ian Black all drafted in to replace James Forrest (Celtic), Graham Dorrans (West Brom) and Phil Bardsley (Sunderland).

Black's inclusion is particularly interesting with the midfielder set to become the first player from Scotland's third division to be capped in 53 years.

Expect a disciplined performance from Scotland following the side's 5-1 demolition at the hands of the United States in their most recent fixture in May.

Advanced Tickets for the match on Wednesday 15 August (8.00pm kick-off) can be purchased by Cash/Debit or Credit Card from the Hibernian Ticket Office between 10am and 12 noon and then from the Hibernian Clubstore through to 5.00pm.

Tickets will then be moved to a combination of Cash Turnstiles in the Famous Five, South and West Stand and from the Cash Ticket Pods at the East Stand which will open at 7.00pm.

Family Pricing is available in the Lower Tiers of the Famous Five and South Stands at £18 Adult / £5 Child (U16).

Elsewhere the pricing will be Famous Five Upper - £18, West & East Stands £22.

Australia Supporters wishing to purchase on the night can do so from the Ticket Pod located adjacent to the South Stand at £18.