Ajdin Hrustic

Set-piece threat for national team

Hrustic is part of Australia's official World Cup roster and is expected to contend for meaningful playing time throughout the competition.

Analysis: Hrustic looks set to be one of Australia's leading candidates for minutes in the attacking midfield roles, where his technical quality and vision can help to get past opposing defenses. The playmaker is particularly dangerous on dead-ball situations and is expected to deliver a significant portion of the team's free kicks and corner kicks. Those responsibilities give him multiple paths to offensive production beyond open-play contributions. Australia could turn to Hrustic whenever it needs a spark in the final third, making him one of the team's most reliable attackers. On the other hand, he's not guaranteed to play full games, and the initial fixtures against Turkiye and United States present considerable difficulty. Over the past year, Hrustic played 27 Eredivisie games for Heracles Almelo, recording one goal and six assists over that span.