“But the more you do it, the more you believe. He honestly now believes he belongs at the top. Physically, his body’s changed completely, he’s much more an athlete because he’s playing much more. Technically, he’s so much better because he’s doing it more, every day. And mentally, he believes so much more in himself, and that’s a massive thing.”

Arnold also revealed Bailey Wright will come into the heart of defence for Souttar, who has flown back to England to recover with his club after picking up a minor ankle knock against Ecuador on Friday night.

Melbourne City’s Jordan Bos and St Pauli’s Connor Metcalfe loom as other likely inclusions for the Socceroos, but Arnold continued to play coy on the prospects of Adelaide United sensation Nestory Irankunda, 17, who is in line to become Australia’s youngest-ever player if he features at Marvel Stadium.

“We’ll see,” is all Arnold would offer on the teen winger’s prospects of game time.

Meanwhile, born-and-raised Melburnians like Wright and Jackson Irvine are hoping for a bumper turnout after watching the way the city rallied around the team during their campaign in Qatar.

Speaking to media at Federation Square, where thousands gathered in the dead of night last November to watch Australia’s matches, they even spotted scorch marks on the roof of the stage from the many flares that the most diehard fans were wielding.

“One of the highlights of the whole experience for us was seeing the scenes at home and here in particular for us Melbourne boys,” Irvine said.

“Hoping that we get a similar reception tomorrow night at Marvel. It’s great to be back and it’s a bit surreal, obviously, standing here and seeing flare burn marks in the ceiling. It was absolutely incredible.”