NAIROBI, May 21 - Ethiopia's athletics chiefs hope Olympic and world 10,000 metres champion Kenenisa Bekele can put a series of poor performances behind him when he starts his track season on Saturday.

Bekele's loss of form since dropping out of the 12 km race at the world cross country championships in March has worried the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF), which said it would see how he ran on Saturday before deciding what do next.

"The Ethiopian Athletics Federation will wait and see before making any decisions. He will start his season on Saturday when he runs over the two miles in Hengelo (Netherlands)," said EAF spokesman Elshadai Negash.

Bekele, the 10,000 world record holder, told local media at the weekend that he had not realised he had suffered a knee injury during March's championships in Mombasa, Kenya.

Asked whether the EAF planned to seek treatment abroad for Bekele, Negash said: "It is too soon to say anything. He has been training reasonably well and is eager to test himself in competition."

He added Bekele would have a limited racing programme before he attempted to defend his world title in Osaka, Japan, in August, and that no decision had been reached over whether he would also compete in the 5,000 metres.