Socceroos missing big guns for S.Korea friendly

Captain Lucas Neill and midfield talisman Tim Cahill were on Wednesday left out of Australia’s squad for next month’s friendly against South Korea in Seoul, with striker Harry Kewell also in doubt.

Socceroos Coach Pim Verbeek omitted Neill from the 24-man squad as the defender searches for a new club in Europe and was forced to drop Cahill, a two-goal hero in Australia’s win over Ireland this month, due to a foot injury.

Verbeek included Kewell but admitted the former Liverpool player may miss the Seoul match after sustaining a knock on his ankle representing his Turkish club Galatasaray last week.

“He got a very nasty kick on his ankle, I was with him on Friday when he had his medical, it didn’t look good,” the coach said.

The Dutchman dismissed fears that Cahill’s injury was similar to the broken metatarsal that sidelined the Everton star for six months last year.

“It’s a totally different injury. At this moment it’s much better to leave him in England because I have enough other players,” Verbeek said.

Verbeek said Neill, who is out of contract with England’s West Ham, was released so he could talk to prospective clubs and undergo medicals.

He included two A-League players, Jason Culina and Shane Stefanutto, along with Japanese-based striker Josh Kennedy.

Vince Grella returns from injury, with Michael Beauchamp, Mark Milligan and Michael Petkovic the other inclusions.

Verbeek said Kennedy and Celtic’s Scott McDonald were likely to play as dual strikers against South Korea.

Australia’s 24-man squad announced Wednesday for the September 5 friendly against South Korea in Seoul:

Michael Beauchamp (Aalborg/DEN), Mark Bresciano (Palermo/ITA), Nick Carle (Crystal Palace/ENG), David Carney (Sheffield United/ENG), Ante Covic (Elfsborg/SWE), Jason Culina (Gold Coast/AUS), Vince Grella (Blackburn/ENG), Brett Holman (Alkmaar/NED), Danny Invincibile (Kilmarnock/SCO), Mile Jedinak (Antalyaspo/TUR), Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus/JPN), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray/TUR), Patrick Kisnorbo (Leeds/ENG), Scott McDonald (Celtic/SCO), Mark Milligan (Shanghai Shenhua/CHN), Jade North (Incheon United/KOR), Michael Petkovic (Sivasspor/TUR), Nikita Rukavytsya (FC Twente/NED), Mark Schwarzer (Fulham/ENG), Matthew Spiranovic (Nurnberg/GER), Shane Stefanutto (North Queensland/AUS), Dario Vidosic (Nurnberg/GER), Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough/ENG), Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo Moscow/RUS)