Aloisi 'fit' for Dutch World Cup warm-up - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Aloisi 'fit' for Dutch World Cup warm-up

28/05/2006 07:07:05 PM Comments (0)

Socceroos striker John Aloisi has declared himself fit for Australia's penultimate World Cup warm-up clash with the Netherlands next weekend.

After bidding farewell to Australia in Thursday's 1-0 friendly win over Greece in Melbourne, the Socceroos arrived at a rain-soaked Mierlo in Holland this weekend to begin final preparations for next month's World Cup.

The team's first training session at the Dutch training camp was cancelled because of the weather.

But Aloisi and star midfielder Tim Cahill, who both missed the Greece match through injury, are expected to resume training with the rest of squad on Monday.

Aloisi, who has been struggling with a foot injury, told Channel 10: "I'm sure the foot will be alright so I'll be looking to play against Holland."

Cahill was also optimistic about the progress of his knee injury, which will likely keep him out of Australia's last two warm-up games before the start of the World Cup.

"The knee's okay, I suppose I'm joining proper training this week and going to wait and see how I get on, but everything is very positive and I'm just looking forward to being part of the squad," Cahill said.

Liverpool star Harry Kewell, who did not travel to Australia because of a groin injury, has joined his teammates at the training camp saying he was confident of being fit for the Socceroos' opening World Cup match against Japan in Kaiserslautern on June 12.

There are also reports Kewell could be available for Australia's final warm-up match against Liechtenstein in Ulm, Germany, on June 7.

The Socceroos play world No.2 Holland in Rotterdam next Saturday, with the Dutch coming into the game on the back of a 1-0 victory over Cameroon.

Coach Guus Hiddink promised another torrid week of training for the Socceroos before his charges began tapering off ahead of the Japan game.

"We will do this (hard training) the same this week, and then at the end when Japan is coming up, I go a little bit back in the intensive work," Hiddink told reporters.

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