The influential Socceroo pulled out of tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier against China after lasting just 10 minutes of Everton’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Saturday.

The Premier League club has yet to confirm the result of scans but there is growing speculation in the British press that Cahill’s season could be over with a recurrence of a metatarsal injury.

If confirmed it will hardly aid Australia’s preparations for a busy June of further crucial World Cup qualifiers.

The Socceroos face Iraq (twice), Qatar and China in a flurry of fixtures squeezed in over just three weeks. Verbeek will be hoping that Cahill’s woes are well and truly behind him by that point as the Socceroos look to progress to the next stage of qualification.

Cahill aggravated a metatarsal fracture last summer and missed the opening stages of Everton’s Premier League season before fighting his way back to fitness and scoring 10 goals for the Champions League spot-chasing Toffees.