LIVERPOOL, March 15: Harry Kewell has been told by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez that he faces an uphill battle to land a new contract at Anfield.

Australia international Kewell, 29, becomes a free agent at the end of the current Premier League season and no talks have yet taken place to discuss new terms that would keep the former Leeds United forward on Merseyside.

The injury-ravaged star has made just 93 league appearances for Liverpool since arriving from Leeds in July 2003 for 5 million pounds (10 million US dollars) and has so far only been able to muster 15 appearances in all competitions this season.

His failure to secure a regular place in Benitez’s team has prompted Kewell to seek permission from the Spaniard to link up with Pim Verbeek’s Socceroos squad for next week’s training camp in Singapore ahead of the World Cup qualifier against China in Kunming on March 26.

And after giving Kewell the green light to jet out to the Far East just days before Liverpool face bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League, Benitez said the Australian’s prospects of earning a new deal at Anfield were not healthy.

“Harry will go with Australia because he is not playing in the team at Liverpool at the moment and I have one or two other options for his position,” Benitez explained.

“It is better for him that he goes because sometimes it can be positive for players to play for their national team, especially if they have not been playing many games.”—AFP