Dangerman Cahill, Emerton fit to face Germany

Key man Tim Cahill said on Friday he has recovered from a neck injury and will be fit to spearhead Australian hopes in their World Cup opener against Germany.

The 30-year-old Everton attacking midfielder said he has trained fully with his teammates after injuring his neck in last weekend’s 3-1 warm-up loss to the United States.

Cahill, who has an impressive 20 goals from 40 games for Australia, did not complete Wednesday’s training, raising fears that he may be in doubt for Sunday’s Group D opener in Durban against the three-time world champions.

But he said he trained fully with the Socceroos on Wednesday and late on Thursday at another closed session.

“I don’t want to focus on injuries, and if the game was on tomorrow, I’d be there,” Cahill told reporters.

Cahill’s insistence that he will be fit will send alarm bells ringing in the German camp as he was picked out as their most dangerous performer on Friday.

“We have focussed mainly on Cahill, because he is dangerous in front of goal,” said Germany’s assistant coach Hansi Flick.

“It is not for nothing that the Australian coach (Pim Verbeek) compares him to Frank Lampard (the England midfielder).

“We had a video session which was designed to show our players how he plays, what type of balls he goes for and where he places himself in the penalty area.”

Blackburn Rovers midfielder Brett Emerton, who has not played in any of his team’s three warmup games because of a calf injury, has also declared himself fit to take on the Germans.

The key selection for Verbeek will be who to name as his starting lone striker between fit-again Harry Kewell or Josh Kennedy.

Kewell declared on Thursday he was ready to play a full match against Germany.

The senior Socceroo forward, who has only played a few minutes this year for Turkish club Galatasaray because of a groin injury, said he was “100 percent.”

The Australians have never beaten Germany in two meetings, losing 4-3 at the 2005 Confederations Cup and 3-0 to the former West Germany at the 1974 World Cup, with both games in Germany.

Skipper Lucas Neill has admitted that a draw with Germany would be “a fantastic result.”