Graham Arnold says he's playing the long game with Alex Robertson and Alessandro Circati after the promising pair were left out of his Socceroos squad for the Asian Cup.
The European-based duo are two of Australia's most prodigious talents, but will remain with their clubs rather than boarding a flight to Qatar in January.
Circati, 20, is chasing promotion to the Italian top flight with Parma, while Robertson, also 20, has had a breakout season at high-flying English League One side Portsmouth while on loan from Manchester City.
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho recently described Robertson as one of the "first names on the team sheet", and while the decision to leave the pair in club-land might raise eyebrows in some quarters, Arnold has been plotting for 2024 for months.
It is one of the most congested periods of his tenure, with the senior Asian Cup in January, the under-23s Asian Cup - which doubles as an Olympic qualification tournament - in April, the Olympics proper in Paris in July, and World Cup qualifiers sprinkled throughout the year.
With both Portsmouth and Parma eyeing promotion, Arnold's hopes of getting Robertson and Circati for both the senior and under-23 Asian Cups would have been slim.
Unlike A-League Men sides, foreign clubs are not compelled to release players for the under-23 tournament, for which Robertson and Circati are both eligible.
Arnold is therefore betting that by leaving them at home for the senior Asian Cup - when they would likely be restricted to cameo appearances - he will strengthen his hopes of selecting them for the Olympic qualifiers.
"It gives us a better chance, and I had great conversations with them both," said Arnold, who has often highlighted the importance of the Olympics for steeling players for the senior national team.
"I've got to be honest with you, we've got depth in those positions.
"What's better for the kids at the age of 20? Coming away in a tournament situation and maybe getting a couple of minutes here and there, or staying with their club and playing eight competition games and enhancing their future?
"We'll get rewarded in six months' time."
Olympic tournaments have often been a shopfront for the best emerging talent, with clubs keen to put their players on show to potential suitors.
Arnold said that even without the young duo, he had the strength in his squad to mount a serious challenge at the Asian Cup.
"There's half a dozen to 10 players who could have come in," he said.
"That just shows you I do feel so confident today that finally I can sit here and if there is an injury we've got depth.
"I used to worry about if one player got injured we didn't have a replacement, and now we do."
