The 30-year-old striker, who plays for English Premier League team Middlesbrough, missed Australia's 2-0 loss at Kuwait in an Asian Cup qualifier on Thursday. He might miss the next Australia game, too, but said he told Australia coach Graham Arnold he didn't want to retire from international soccer.

``It is a big commitment playing for Australia because there is such a lot of traveling and it means being away from the family and not being able to able to concentrate fully on playing for your club,'' Viduka said Monday on Middlesbrough's website.

``I have come to an agreement with Graham because my wife is pregnant and we are by ourselves here, so I want to be with her at this time. I do not know if I will play in the next game either _ we have already qualified anyway.''

Viduka captained Australia at the World Cup in Germany _ its first appearance in the final tournament since 1974. He said he wasn't the only player to consider retiring after Australia reached the second round, where it lost to eventual champion Italy.

``A lot of us were thinking when we got to those sort of highs, is it going to get any better than this? Will it all be downhill from here?'' he said. ``Also, the next World Cup is in four years' time and I do not know if I will still be playing _ maybe I will, maybe not.''