Moore Looking For Quick Return To Playing Field

Injured Socceroos captain Craig Moore is looking for a return to first team football in late October that will hopefully provide him with much needed match fitness in time for the World Cup play-offs in November.

Injured Socceroos captain Craig Moore is looking for a return to first team football in late October that will hopefully provide him with much needed match fitness in time for the World Cup play-offs in November. Moore (pictured right), sidelined with a hamstring injury virtually ever since signing for Newcastle United in England, said he is looking to get back straight back into full training next week and start playing in a couple weeks in the reserves. After that he would like to think he is in line for a first team place for Newcastle. “I am running now again,” said Moore, who had an injection last Tuesday to relieve a sciatic problem that flared while sitting on the bench for Newcastle. As expected he confirmed he would not take part in the match against Jamaica next Sunday, with his main aim now is to get back to playing as soon as possible and be as near to full fitness for the qualifiers. Given his lack of match fitness, Moore would be a prime candidate for Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink-s possible radical plan to rest several players from the first leg of the World Cup qualifier and send them directly to Sydney for the second leg. However Moore is not convinced the plan is the right way to go and he would prefer to play in both legs no matter how much match fitness he has. "Personally for me, the two games, as long as I'm fit, wouldn't be a problem," Moore said. "I've done it the last time, and we've got the medical staff now that look after you after the game to make sure your recovery is correct, and there's training leading into the next game. "I have heard it mentioned before, but how he (Hiddink) actually goes about it is a different thing. "It depends on what's available at that particular time. The manager's obviously got his own thoughts, but personally I think it's going to be very difficult to do that." When asked if he concerned about where Australia are positioned at the moment, Moore was quite blunt in his answer, but said the players were still in a positive mood. “Concern to be honest,” was Moore-s frank answer. “If the (playoffs) were in the next week or two then we've got a lot of players that have started in recent years that would be struggling for that game." "And there's quite a number of players not playing week in week out for their clubs, so I'd by lying if I said it wasn't a concern, and I'm sure it would be a concern for the manager as well. "But with the players, (the mood) is fine. Moore almost dismissed suggestions that they are not as confident going into these games as they were four years ago. "If any of the players don't believe we can qualify for the World Cup, they shouldn't be here. "We believe we can do that. There's a lot of people in the squad who are extremely confident."