Kewell managed only the final minutes of his club side's game last weekend before yet another recurrence of his groin injury apparently ruled him out for the rest of Galatasaray's season.

Assistant coach Johan Neeskens has written off Kewell's chances of appearing for the Turkish side again - and cast serious doubt on him appearing in South Africa.

"I don't know if he really is to going make the World Cup at this rate," Neeskens told the Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend.

But today Kewell hit back and insisted he was planning to play a key role with the Socceroos - starting with the farewell game against New Zealand at Melbourne's MCG in a fortnight.

"That's the next important game for us once we get together in Melbourne, we go out there and we fight for our position," he told the Brisbane's Courier-Mail. 

Kewell still has hopes of even making the final match of the season for Galatasaray, although he admitted the club may not risk him in a meaningless tie.

"It [the injury] is still there a little bit so we're taking precautions now," Kewell said. "The season's pretty much done for us. We can't win the league or come second.

"Hopefully I can play in our last game, against Genclerbirligi. The plan is to train this week and see how I cope. If I don't play, then it's not meant to be. I'm still resting these old legs.

"There are still a few more games [for Australia] before the World Cup.'

Kewell is also adamant he will not ben giving up the green and gold after the World Cup as some have predicted.

Instead, he has his sights set on playing at the Asian Cup next January.

He added: "I don't think the World Cup's going to be my swansong.

"I'll play football for my club and country as long as I have the desire to play football, and for as long as I feel I can do a job for both club and country.

"Playing in the Asian Cup's always a possibility. It's in a country that's not far from Turkey and it's not far from England, if I'm back there.

"I always keep my options open."

Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek will announce his provisional squad of 27 to take to South Africa tomorrow before it is whittled down to the final 23 once they are in situ at their World Cup camp.