Australia coach Frank Farina has revealed his fears for Harry Kewell's long-term fitness as the club versus country row continues to rage Down Under.
The Liverpool winger has missed his country's World Cup qualifiers against New Zealand, Tahiti and Fiji and there have been suggestions that the former Leeds United star decides when he plays and when he stays at home.
Farina stresses that everything is being done with Kewell's best interests at heart as he does not want the wide man being forced to retire prematurely through injury.
"What people aren't putting forward properly is that Harry genuinely has a problem," Farina told The Sydney Morning Herald. "His physical well-being and how that has to be handled.
"The player is looking long-term, he's only 25 and he's got the larger portion of his career to go.
"If he doesn't manage himself properly, his career could be cut short.
"You look at Marco van Basten. He retired at 27, 28, through a bad ankle injury.
"Have I made headway with Harry? I think so, yeah.
"In the big ones coming up, the Confederation Cup play-offs in October, I definitely expect him to be there.
"He's already assured me. Barring injury, he's there."
