After a busy summer with five Asian nations participating in the FIFA World Cup and Korea Republic winning gold at the Asian Games, teams are now fully focused on preparing for the most prestigious continental showpiece, the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

And with the vast majority of the 24 participating teams taking part in friendly matches over the next ten days, the international break offers an opportunity for us to have a sneak peek into what's to come.

So, here are five things we can look out for in the upcoming series of friendlies.

Almost all the 24 teams will be in action as they cast their eyes on UAE 2019 which is a mere 121 days away.

Defending champions Australia, however, will not be in action as new head coach Graham Arnold has opted to use the international break to gather his players for a training camp in Antalya, Turkey.

The team is led by new head coach Scott Cooper, who hails from England and had prior coaching stints in Thailand and Indonesia. He is assisted by Chris Greatwich and Steve Marsella.

Midfielder Stephan Schrock returns to the squad. Defender Amani Aguinaldo and midfielder Luke Woodland also make their national team return after injury.

Ceres Negros FC forward Curt Dizon was also included in the squad, as well as midfielder Angel Guirado who was part of the team that participated in the CTFA International Tournament in December 2017.

Cardiff City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge was also selected for the friendlies, as he offers the experience of being the first Filipino to play in the English Premier League.

In the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, the Azkals are making their debut at the Continental spectacle and were drawn alongside Korea Republic, China PR and Kyrgyz Republic in Group C.

The 2018 Asian Games' football competition saw Korea Republic defeat Japan 2-1 in extra-time in an exciting climax at Pakansari Stadium in Cibinong, and eyes now turn to the biggest event in the continental game: the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

Here are six players who stood out in Indonesia and will aspire to rise to even greater heights for their countries in the UAE in January. Let us know in the poll below who you think will be the one to watch.

Cahill, who recently announced his retirement from international football, is set to put on the green and gold one last time against the Cedars when the two teams clash in November’s international friendly at Sydney Olympic Park.

FFA Chief Executive Officer David Gallop AM said that Cahill, who is Australia’s greatest ever goalscorer at the international level with 50 goals from 107 appearances, deserved the chance to bid farewell to the fans that have supported him over the past 14 years of his career in national team colours.

“Tim’s contribution to football and the Socceroos especially over the past 14 years has been immense,” said Gallop. “When Tim made the decision to retire from international football we swiftly began discussions internally, and with him and his management team, regarding how FFA could provide Tim with an appropriate send-off on home soil.

The first squad of Arnold’s tenure sees new blood including Ben Garuccio, Kenneth Dougall, and Awer Mabil rewarded for their sound performances for their respective clubs in Europe, and also includes recalls to the senior men’s national team space for Bailey Wright, Mustafa Amini, Mitchell Duke, Apostolos Giannou, Ajdin Hrustic, Mitchell Langerak, Alex Gersbach and Aleksandar Susnjar.

Dutch-based duo John Iredale and Denis Genreau, who are both eligible for the Young Socceroos and the Australian U23 team, will also be given the chance to learn off and impress Arnold and his staff as the Socceroos make use of the same high level training facilities that they did in the lead up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

With just over four months to Asia’s most prestigious football tournament, 5,000 opportunities were launched across a number of exciting and critical roles, from liaising with team services and VIPs hospitality across the competition, to media work and venue operations.

The launch event for the volunteers’ programme was attended by LOC Director of Marketing and Communications, Ahmad Al Qobaisi, who was joined by Saeed Khalifah Al Muhairi, Abu Dhabi Sports Council Director of Technical Affairs, along with Mohammad Al Shatiri AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Volunteers Programme Manager, who were present among a crowd of football fans on Friday in Dubai Mall.