Tim Cahill has limped off from Melbourne City’s clash with Sydney FC casting doubt about his ability to be fit for the Caltex Socceroos’ winner-takes-all playoff with Honduras next week.
In a sight that would horrify national team fans, Cahill came off around the 25th minute mark following a tangle with Sydney FC defender Jordy Buijs.
Cahill left AAMI Park just after half-time and went straight to hospital for scans to find out the severity of the injury.
He is due to fly to Central America on Sunday ahead of next weekend’s Intercontinental Play-off against Honduras.
While City boss Warren Joyce was unsure of the seriousness of the injury, Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold was hopeful Cahill would be fit to spearhead the Caltex Socceroos.
“I didn’t see it, I just heard him scream when he went down just in front of the bench,” Arnold said.
“When he walked off I went over to him to shake his hand and see if he was all right and he just said he’d rolled it.
“I was actually surprised he started. I thought, he’s going to be away for the next few weeks (so he wouldn’t play), but I don’t make those decisions.
“The first thing I thought of was the national team.
“Timmy’s our star. You can’t give enough credit to someone who’s done so much for the country.
“What he did against Syria, 120 minutes, he was phenomenal.”
More to come…