Injuries and patchy form has seen Kewell toil at Liverpool since moving from troubled Leeds in 2003, and he is only becoming a more marginal figure with time having not featured since the FA Cup defeat at Barnsley last month as well as being completely omitted from the squad that travelled to Milan in midweek.

Now there are reports that the 29-year-old has asked Rafael Benitez for permission to link up with a second-string Australian squad in Singapore next week, rather than work on his fitness alone at Melwood.

Benitez has not yet given Kewell an answer, but if he does agree that would be a clear indication that the Spanish coach is no longer planning with the player, who is known to still have several admirers in Italy and Spain.