SOCCEROOS captain Lucas Neill insists there is no need to "panic" over the future of the Socceroos as they plot a return to form and three crucial points in their World Cup qualifying group.

Facing Lebanon in a friendly early on Friday, Holger Osieck's squad then travel to Jordan looking for a first win in three World Cup qualifiers to stay within touching distance of group leaders Japan.

Despite the navel-gazing that followed the side's limp 3-1 loss to Scotland last month, Neill said that was an aberration rather than evidence of a systemic problem.

"Coming into the camp (in Beirut), straight away there was a lot more focus," Neill said. "In the last camp against Scotland, it was still effectively pre-season for most players and a few of us had other situations going on.

"Now we know we're here to play two important games. No one wants to look for any excuses in regard to Scotland - it wasn't a good display.

"But I don't think wholesale changes are necessary given the same team had been praised for playing so well against Japan in June, after a lot of travel and with 10 men at the end.

"I understand the reaction there was after the Scotland game but there'll certainly be no panic from our end."

Nonetheless, Neill conceded that in their recent double headers the Socceroos had struggled to pair commanding performances together, despite the opportunity to spend time building momentum."Yes, Lebanon is a friendly, but it serves a very important purpose," he said. "We have to find rhythm and team spirit in that first game, and grind out any rustiness so that when Jordan comes around we're ready to attack the game.

"It's hard to describe the feeling that a team gets when everything clicks, and we want to search for that against Lebanon.

"As individuals and as a team we need a good performance in Beirut. And then hopefully from that, the game against Jordan gives us the chance to stay close to Japan."

Liverpool's second-string goalkeeper Brad Jones has been called into the squad after Adam Federici had to pull out with an injury.

It's the first time Jones has been called up since his son Luca lost a long battle with leukaemia and died in November last year.

Originally published as Socceroos refuse to hit panic button