New WC injury doubt for Aussie ace Kewell

Australia’s Harry Kewell is in doubt for next month’s World Cup with a recurring groin injury, his Turkish club coach Johan Neeskens has said, it was reported Saturday.

Neeksens, the Galatasaray assistant coach, said it would be “very difficult” for the injury-plagued Kewell to overcome the groin injury in time for the tournament in South Africa.

Neeskens, who assisted head coach Guus Hiddink in Australia’s campaign at the 2006 World Cup, has confirmed Kewell will miss Galatasaray’s remaining two matches this season after aggravating the groin injury at training this week.

“Right now, I think it’s going to be very difficult,” Neeskens told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Stage by stage he got better but then he fell back again. He chose to stop practising and take treatment but sometimes after three or four days and he stops treatment and starts training again, it comes back again.

“I don’t know if he really is to make the World Cup at this rate. First of all it’s up to himself and the doctors in Australia. If he cannot participate, it’s a big loss for Australia.”

Kewell, 31, required surgery on his troublesome groin in January, ending a run of excellent form which saw him net 14 goals in 27 appearances for Galatasaray this season.

The former Liverpool and Leeds United star had been tipped to play as the lone striker for Australia at the World Cup, but should injury rule him out of the tournament, additional pressure will be on the team’s Everton star Tim Cahill.

“They are both important players in the team,” Neeskens told the newspaper.

“If you miss a player like Kewell you are missing a lot. They (Kewell and Cahill) know each other very well, they know how to play with each other.”

National coach Pim Verbeek is to announce his provisional 27-man Australian squad on Tuesday, which will be trimmed to 23 on June 1.