Netherlands vs. USA (Saturday, 3.00pm)
© Reuters
Netherlands defender Jeremie Frimpong suffered an injury scare with his ankle on Wednesday before making a return to full training on Thursday, but Denzel Dumfries was always expected to line up on the right anyway.
Van Gaal should therefore have all of his troops available, but Matthijs de Ligt and Nathan Ake are walking a tightrope and will miss any potential quarter-final match should they receive yellow cards here.
An unchanged lineup could very well be on the cards for Oranje here, as in-demand PSV Eindhoven starlet Gakpo aims to become the first-ever Dutchman to score in four successive World Cup matches.
As for the USA, Pulisic is being monitored daily after suffering a pelvic contusion while scoring the winner against Iran, but the Chelsea attacker affirmed that he would be fine for Saturday in a congratulatory social media message posted from his hospital bed.
Berhalter also lost Josh Sargent to an injured ankle, although the extent of the damage will not become clear until the results of scans come through, while Weston McKennie is reported to be dealing with a quad problem to hand the USA another selection headache.
However, all three players are said to have good chances of being fit for the last-16 clash, so Berhalter will certainly look to stick with an untouched XI barring any late concerns.
> Click here to read our full preview for this match
> How the USA could line up against the Netherlands
> How the Netherlands could line up against the USA
> World Cup 2022: Netherlands vs. USA head-to-head record
Argentina vs. Australia (Saturday, 7.00pm)
© Reuters
Though surely loath to change a winning team, Lionel Scaloni could feel the need to alter his starting lineup once again, given a rapid turnaround between games.
Lisandro Martinez could therefore come into contention for a place in central defence, while Lyon's Nicolas Tagliafico aims to usurp Marcos Acuna at left-back.
After making a substantial impression as a substitute in both of Argentina's first two matches at the finals, Enzo Fernandez is set to hold off the challenge of Leandro Paredes, who has been consigned to the bench against both Poland and Mexico.
Meanwhile, Lautaro Martinez was among a deep trove of attacking riches starting on the sidelines on Wednesday night, but Julian Alvarez's goal may give him the edge in a battle to join stalwarts Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi up front.
Australia may also make a limited number of changes, as Nathaniel Atkinson and Fran Karacic - who started the first and second games respectively - compete with Milos Degenek, who then took up the reins at right-back against Denmark.
Craig Goodwin endured a tough 45 minutes versus the Danes and was replaced by Keanu Baccus at half time, and the latter effortlessly slotted into the Aussies' engine room next to Aaron Mooy. Graham Arnold could therefore make a brave call to include the relatively inexperienced St Mirren midfielder on Saturday.
Up front, Mitchell Duke leads the line again, having so far exceeded his modest status as a man who plays his club football in Japan's second tier.
> Click here to read our full preview for this match
> How Australia could line up against Argentina
> How Argentina could line up against Australia
> World Cup 2022: Argentina vs. Australia head-to-head record
Barney Corkhill
