World Cup, Australia: Can Harry Kewell Get Healthy?

Australia blew through Asian World Cup Qualifying and cast themselves on the radar of pundits looking for a World Cup dark horse, but without much depth amongst their elite talents, the Socceroos are uncommonly reliant on the Tim Cahills of the world.  Losing players from that next talent level - the Lucas Neill, Scott Chipperfield, Brett Emerton, Mark Bresciano, Vince Grella level - disproportionately effects Australia.

For Italy, no problem.  They can reaplce players at that level.  For Australia - good luck, particularly considering a group featuring Germany, Ghana, and Serbia.

That is why injury concerns to Emerton and Bresciano are so troublesome for Australia, but their biggest concern is Harry Kewell.  One of their few players who can score goals against elite competition, Kewell has been battling a groin injury throughout 2010.  Given the Aussies' qualifying reliance on goal scoring in the air, Kewell's absence at the World Cup would be acutely felt.  

While Kewell has eight goals in 12 starts this season in Turkey, he has not featured for Galatasaray since December. 

In his stead, Gala has a slew of attackers:  Arda Turan, Milos Baros, Abdul Kader Keita, Elano, Jo and Giovanni Dos Santos.  Even if Kewell found his fitness, he would unlikely to see a long run of matches.  Still recovering from groin surgery early this year, it is unlikely Kewell features prominently throughout the remainder of the Super Lïg season.

That leaves very few opportunities for Kewell to show Pim Verbeek he's fit ahead of the June 11, Australia's first World Cup match.  The Socceroos will play friendlies against New Zealand (May 24), Denmark (June 1), and the United States (June 5).

Fully fit or not, Kewell will have to play in those matches, if for no other reason than to show Verbeek how much he can be relied upon.  

In a group where Australia's main mean of scoring goals matches up poorly against Germany and Serbia, it may not be a stretch to suggest the Aussies have little chance of advancing out of their World Cup group without Harry Kewell.

More on Kewell:

• Kewell Fighting to Regain Fitness For World Cup (New York Times)
• Kewell Holding on to Finals Dream (ESPN)
• No Kiwi sympathy for Pim Verbeek's dilemma (The Australian)