Monday Jun 12 2006 22:28
Czech Republic striker Jan Koller did not suffer a serious injury in the 3-0 win over the USA, dispelling fears that he may be about to miss the rest of the tournament.
Koller was stretchered off just before half-time in Gelsenkirchen, having scored earlier on in the game, with coach Karel Bruckner fearing his talismanic forward might be ruled out of the rest of the summer showpiece.
He said straight after the game: "Unfortunately his injury is very serious. It is the only negative thing from this match."
Tomas Rosicky, who scored two superb goals to secure the man of the match award, admitted Koller's injury had tempered his enjoyment of the game.
He added: "We may have lost Koller and that makes this game tough to take."
However, after Koller had had a scan on the problem, a team spokesman confirmed: "I can confirm that after tests at the hospital, there is no deformity in the hamstring.
"We will see how he reacts tomorrow. We thought at first it was a serious injury. We don't think that any more."
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