Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek claims he has persuaded Viduka to commit to the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
But a compromise appears to have been struck whereby Verbeek will only call on the centre-forward if he is fit and needed in a qualifying group with no shortage of also-rans. "Mark wants to go to the World Cup," Verbeek said. "It's two ways of course. He said the moment he was fit he would be there, but there will be games where I need different strikers.
"That's very much okay with him. He wants to be part of the group. He absolutely doesn't want to say he will only come if he is a starting member.
"The only condition he made, which I understand well, is he must be 100% fit and so far this season he has not been.
"Still he is not, but he had to play a few weeks ago and every game since because Newcastle were in a difficult situation." The Socceroos will have to play 14 games to reach the finals in South Africa and Verbeek accepts his team will be more than capable of winning some without Viduka.
"I'm very pleased with Josh Kennedy at the moment, he is playing very well, and Scott McDonald - plus we have some young players coming up, and Archie Thompson," he said. "But in the end, Mark Viduka is Mark Viduka, and he has very specific qualities."