Adelaide sensation Nestory Irankunda is on the cusp of becoming the Socceroos' youngest-ever player after an unwell Riley McGree was ruled out of the first of two friendlies against Ecuador.
Middlesbrough midfielder McGree picked up a bug while travelling to Sydney from England ahead of Friday's clash, Australia coach Graham Arnold said.
It means 17-year-old Irankunda, who was initially brought into the squad as a training player, could be awarded his international debut against the South Americans.
"We only just saw him (McGree) for the first time this morning," Arnold said on Thursday.
"He's had the flu and those types of things so it gives Nestory the chance to be in the 26-man squad, and we'll see how the game goes."
Irankunda only turned 17 last month and would surpass Duncan Cummings, who won his first cap in 1975 against China aged 17 years and 139 days, as Australia's youngest-ever player.
The teenager has scored or assisted a goal for Adelaide in five of his last seven A-League Men games.
Arnold is hopeful McGree will be fit to feature against the Ecuadorians next Tuesday, when Australia face the South American side again at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium.
The Socceroos boss also hinted that the uncapped duo of Manchester City midfielder Alex Robertson and Melbourne City fullback Jordan Bos could feature at CommBank Stadium on Friday.
But Arnold said their inclusions would be supplemented by the core of players who reached the last 16 at last year's World Cup in Qatar.
Football Australia has billed the Ecuador friendlies as a homecoming celebration of the team's best-ever finish at a World Cup, but Arnold is keen for the games to act as a stepping stone towards next year's Asian Cup and beyond.
"It's a great opportunity to blend," Arnold said.
"If you put just the kids in all alone, without the older players as the leaders to help them on the pitch, it could be a little bit daunting for them.
"Publicly this is about an opportunity to celebrate what the boys did, but internally it's been more about the new campaign starting.
"We did a great presentation reflecting on the World Cup; that's our base and it's about going higher than we did (in Qatar)."
Arnold also confirmed that assistant coach Rene Meulensteen had this week inked a contract extension with FA.
