[lfc-news] Expert: Kewell should abandon this season - Post

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Liverpool Daily Post, 14 Mar 2005
Kewell should abandon this season - expert
By David Prior, Daily Post Staff

HARRY KEWELL'S lingering injury problems can only be sorted out if the
Australian does not play again until next season, a leading specialist
has warned.

The winger was forced to withdraw from Liverpool's trip to Bayer
Leverkusen last week with another injury, the exact nature of which an
exasperated Rafael Benitez admitted he did not even know himself.

Kewell has been out of action since limping off in Carling Cup final
defeat to Chelsea last month, and now Holland-based physiotherpist Andre
van Alphen has claimed the only answer is a three-month rest.

"My opinion is for a good treatment period so the body gets time to heal
and recuperate," Van Alphen said.

"This will take about three months to full fitness. It is impossible to
recover while playing football."

And Australia national coach Frank Farina admitted Kewell and the
Anfield club had to now make a decision about his short-term future.

"I saw his comeback game after seven or eight weeks out and he did quite
well but it wasn't the Harry of old," Farina said. "He is very
frustrated that he can't perform at his best. What happens next is a
decision for the club to make, the medical staff and Harry himself."

Meanwhile, Michael Owen is backing Liverpool to pull off a shock triumph
in this season's Champions League.

The former Anfield striker phoned some of his former team-mates
immediately after their 3-1 second-leg triumph in Leverkusen, with his
own side Real Madrid having been dumped out of the competition by Juventus.

And Owen said: "Liverpool have got more chance now than Porto did at the
same stage last season. Porto weren't fancied, nor were Greece in the
European Champion-ship, and Liverpool won't be fancied either.

"There are strange results at the top level nowadays. The game is not
like it was 10, 20, 30 years ago. Anything can happen. Hopefully
Liverpool can get a nice draw and keep going."

He added: "These are the ups and downs of football. Now, if Liverpool
get knocked out in the quarter-finals and don't finish fourth (in the
Premiership) it will be one of their worst seasons. But I want them to
go all the way."

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