Smicer ruled out
01 Jun 2006 - 13:38:43
Veteran midfielder Vladimir Smicer has been forced to withdraw from Czech Republic's World Cup squad because of a hamstring injury.
The Bordeaux star, who has been capped 81 times, has been struggling with the problem for some time, but was prepared to play through the pain barrier in Germany.
However, the latest examination of the injury revealed a blood clot in his thigh and Smicer was forced to admit defeat.
"We came to a conclusion that, unfortunately, my condition makes it impossible for me to travel to the World Cup and help the team,'' said the ex-Liverpool playmaker.
Coach Karel Bruckner is yet to confirm the identity of the replacement, but Rangers' Libor Sionko has been training with the squad for the past couple of weeks in case Smicer failed to recover.