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The English Premier League kicks off this weekend, but some of its brightest Australian stars will be missing from the action.
Injury-plagued Tim Cahill and Mark Viduka will sit on the sidelines as Everton and Newcastle United begin their 2008/09 campaigns, while Liverpool will be missing striker Harry Kewell following his transfer to Turkish club Galatasaray.
However ‘keeper Mark Schwarzer will be eager to please in his Premiership debut for London club Fulham, with West Ham captain Lucas Neill and Blackburn Rovers’ Brett Emerton also expected to line up for their teams’ opening matches.
The summer break has hardly been a relaxing affair for Cahill and Viduka who have been battling to overcome injuries sustained last season.
Cahill, who recently had a large traditional Samoan family timeline tattooed on his left arm, is remaining positive about his recovery from a broken foot but might not be fit enough to play until September.
The midfielder broke a metatarsal bone once again in March and has since undergone surgery in Australia.
He has resumed light training at Finch Farm and was able to join his teammates on their recent tour of the United States, but did not play.
Everton manager David Moyes does not expect Cahill to be fit enough for Everton’s match against Blackburn Rovers this Saturday.
During his recovery Cahill, who has broken his foot three times in the past year, has tried to remain upbeat.
“Everything is really positive,” Cahill told the Liverpool Echo newspaper.
“I came back last year and played 28 games and scored 10 goals. I made an impact and I’ll do the same again this year. Whether it means I’ll play less games or more, we’ll see.”
Both Cahill and veteran Socceroos striker Viduka, who injured his Achilles tendon in May, have been ruled out of Australia’s World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan next month.
Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan does not expect Viduka will be fit enough to feature in the Magpies’ line-up against Premiership and UEFA Champions League winners Manchester United on Sunday.
The 32-year-old, who only played 21 matches for Newcastle in his debut season for the club in 2007/08, could also miss at least another two matches.
On a brighter note, Celtic’s star striker Scott McDonald has been tipped by bookies to top the scoring in the Scottish Premier League this season.
McDonald notched up 25 goals in 32 league games for Celtic last season, sparking rumours Everton could be interested in signing him.
But the 24-year-old seems to be content to stay with the Scottish title winners, having signed up for another five years in June.
Back in the English Premier League, West Ham’s captain Lucas Neill has scotched rumours of a possible move to rival club Manchester City or joining Harry Kewell at his new Turkish club Galatasaray.
“I’m a West Ham player,” Neill said recently after months of speculation about his future.
“That’s the start and finish of it.”
West Ham will face up to Wigan Athletic on Saturday while Brett Emerton’s Blackburn Rovers play Everton.
New boss Paul Ince has flagged Emerton, who has signed a new four-year contract, could play a more attacking role in midfield this season instead of his usual wingback role.
Elsewhere, Mark Schwarzer could have a tricky time cementing his place as the No.1 goalkeeper at Fulham after ending his 11-year stint at Middlesbrough.
The Cottagers, who faced relegation in 2007/08 and take on Hull City this Saturday, have signed Swiss Pascal Suberbuhler to take the club’s total number of keepers to four.
Schwarzer could soon be joined at Fulham by fellow Socceroos midfielders Vince Grella and Mark Bresciano, who have both been tipped to be keen to swap their Italian Serie A clubs and move to England.
The London club has reportedly made an $8 million offer for Grella to leave Torino and also is believed to be one of several clubs, including Manchester City, West Ham and Blackburn interested in luring Bresciano away from Palermo.
One notable absence from the Premiership this year will be Kewell, who made a controversial move to Galatasaray after his Liverpool contract expired in May.
Kewell, who last week suffered a knee strain during a training session, enraged many fans at his former club Leeds United, which had two fans stabbed to death by Turkish hooligans during a match against Galatasaray eight years ago.
But Kewell has defended the move, saying he maintained strong feelings towards Leeds and urged fans to respect his “democratic right” to join Galatasaray.
Neill has thrown his support behind Kewell’s move, saying it is the right step to take at this stage of his career.
“No one has worked harder than him to try and get himself right and all he wants to do now is prove to himself and prove to everybody else that has doubted him that he has still got it and that he is still the Harry that we used to see lighting up the Premiership every week,” Neill told ESPN.
“I think that he just maybe wanted to get away from England.
“Maybe I think his reputation had gone before him and he played less than he would like to.
“He just saw an opportunity for a fresh challenge but still in Champions League football and the opportunity to play regularly … and just to focus in a different country where maybe the distraction is less for him.
“I hope he does very well. I’m sure with the ability he has he will and if he is playing regularly for Galatasaray that means he is going to play well for Australia and we are all going to benefit.”
Australian players featuring in the English Premier League this season:
Aston Villa
Chris Herd (midfield), Shane Lowry (defender)
Bolton
Aaron Mooy (midfield)
Blackburn Rovers
Brett Emerton (midfield), Rostyn Griffiths (midfield)
Everton
Tim Cahill (midfield)
Fulham
Mark Schwarzer (goalkeeper), Adrian Leijer (defender)
Hull City
Richard Garcia (striker)
Liverpool
Dean Bouzanis (goalkeeper)
Middlesbrough
Brad Jones (goalkeeper), Rhys Williams (defender)
Newcastle United
Mark Viduka (striker)
West Ham United
Lucas Neill (defender)
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