Cahill injury is worry for Aussies

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MELBOURNE, Australia -- Australia coach Graham Arnold is hoping that Tim Cahill will be fit for the Asian Cup despite a serious foot injury.

The 27-year-old Everton midfielder broke a metatarsal bone in his left foot when he landed awkwardly in the Premier League match against Sheffield United on Saturday and is unlikely to return for the Merseyside club this season.

Cahill had only returned from an 11-week lay-off after a knee injury in January.

"I believe that he's got a similar injury to what Wayne Rooney had before the World Cup last year," Arnold said in a teleconference on Monday.

"It's probably an eight to 10-week injury, so if that's the case he'll probably miss the rest of the season for Everton.

"I've had contact with Timmy himself and he's trying to be quite positive about it all and says he'll be ready for the Asian Cup. But we've got a bit of time on our side for him to get ready."

Australia have been drawn in Group A at the Asian Cup alongside Oman, Iraq and Thailand. The tournament starts on July 7, with Australia opening their campaign a day later against Oman in Bangkok.

Sydney eye Sheringham

Meanwhile, Sydney FC are negotiating with former England international Teddy Sheringham to become the Australian A-League club's new marquee signing, according to reports in Australia.

The former A-League champions have been without a star overseas signing since the departure of Trinidad international Dwight Yorke and a brief flirtation with Italian Benito Carbone last year.

Out of favor at West Ham under new manager Alan Curbishley, Sheringham, 41 next month, has discussed the approach with former Manchester United team-mate Yorke and is believed to have received a glowing reference, reports said.

Sydney's chief executive George Perry confirmed the club had opened discussions with Sheringham and insisted that despite his age he would be a superb acquisition.

"He's still playing at the top level and is by any standards an excellent player," Perry told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"He'd be a great ambassador for the club. But he's only one of a half dozen we're talking to."

According to the Daily Telegraph, Sydney turned to Sheringham, who also had spells with Tottenham and Portsmouth and scored 11 times in 51 appearances for England, after Charlton's former Dutch international striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink rejected a 1.5 million dollar ($1.17 million) salary package.

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