Is Harry Kewell really sick?

[injuryupdate]

It doesn't surprise much that from the nation in which it is a national pastime to contrive fake sick certificates, that one of our stars may have been forced by his club into doing the same thing. Then again, he might legitimately suffer from the same condition as Alistair Lynch of the Brisbane Lions, who is obviously a genuine long-term sufferer of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Do you believe Harry Kewell?

[injuryupdate]

It doesn't surprise much that from the nation in which it is a national pastime to contrive fake sick certificates, that one of our stars may have been forced by his soccer club into doing the same thing. Then again, he might legitimately suffer from the same condition as Alistair Lynch of the Brisbane Lions, who is obviously a genuine long-term sufferer of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Lynch has missed many away games, particularly to Perth, over recent years, to simply rest. The details of Kewell's medical condition weren't revealed when this problem was announced in the Sun-Herald (read the full article), but it is reasonable to assume his condition is similar to Lynch's. His most recent withdrawal was allegedly due to an ankle injury, and perhaps he has a joint which swells up during long plane trips. The suspicion over his conditions comes from the fact that at least 3-4 other Socceroos pulled out of the friendly match in Venezuela with less than convincing excuses, and it appears as though Premier League clubs are putting great pressure on their stars not to front for Australia. Should these players be forced to play for their country if they (or their clubs) don't want to?