Harry Kewell has revealed he will not be back in action until March at the earliest.
The Liverpool winger has yet to kick a ball this season due to a combination of foot and groin injuries which have sidelined him since this summer's World Cup.
"It's going to be a while," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporationon a visit to a school in Sydney. "We're looking past February."
The 28-year-old has been undergoing treatment in his native Australia for seven weeks and is hoping a new boot will help solve his foot problems and prolong his career.
The boot is produced by a little-known company in Brisbane and Kewell has been so impressed, he says he has ended his contract with current suppliers Adidas.
"It was close to the end of last season and obviously I had been having problems with my feet," he told the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
"The first time I put them (the boots) on I thought they felt like a pair of slippers.
"Obviously, there were some things to sort out with Adidas which took some time but I've since decided to stick with the new boots.
"I have been involved with Adidas for around 10 years and have always had a great relationship with them," Kewell said. "But it's just time to think about my feet."