Overview

• Circati completed an intensive six-hour-a-day rehab programme to recover from his torn ACL in just seven-and-a-half months.
• He earned a recall to Tony Popovic’s Socceroos squad after playing two full matches for Parma in May.
• A draw or loss in Perth would force Australia into a playoff against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah next week to decide their qualification fate.
• Japan has selected an inexperienced lineup for the Perth match after already securing its own World Cup berth.
• Circati’s return in his hometown stadium carries extra weight given his father Gianfranco’s legacy with Perth Glory.