Australia striker Cahill survives cut for key qualifiers

Britain Football Soccer - England v Australia - International Friendly - Stadium of Light, Sunderland - 27/5/16 Australia coach Ange Postecoglou before the game. Action Images via Reuters / Ed Sykes

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia coach Ange Postecoglou has dismissed concerns about Tim Cahill's lack of match fitness and selected the veteran striker in his final 23-man squad for crunch World Cup qualifiers against Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.

The 37-year-old Cahill was overlooked for the qualifier against Thailand in November and has spent little time on the pitch at club level for Melbourne City in the past month but he remains the nation's go-to man when the pressure is on.