Greece coach Fernando Santos Thursday denied accusations from Panathinaikos that the national team's technical staff does not take proper care of its players.
"We are not irresponsible and we take all necessary precautions," Santos said in response to a letter by the Athens club to the Greek football federation complaining about the injury of two of its players.
He added: "We are focused on our goals as a national team but we always have our attention on the players and their clubs."
Panathinaikos midfielder Lazaros Christodoulopoulos and defender Loukas Vyntras were injured this week in training sessions for Friday's World Cup qualifier against Bosnia-Herzegovina at home.
Both players will miss Friday's contest and next Tuesay's qualifier in Slovakia.
"I have no problem in facing clubs, and especially Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, over the issue of the injured," Santos said.
"But to make things clear, the teams have not elicited information about any player that had a problem. If the player has a problem, we must know through the club or the player must tell us."
Panathinaikos in the letter issued Thursday complained about "a particularly heavy workout of the international players and that the national team's technical and medical staff do not take into account the fatigue of the players from their club obligations."
"It seems that the players on the national team are treated the same as having played the same matches and follow the same workout. This is wrong and constitutes negligence which has cost Panathinaikos," the letter said.
Olympiakos levelled had similar complaints last June when the team's defender Avraam Papadopoulos was injured during the Euro 2012 opener against Poland.
The club had accused the federation's doctor of not taking Papadopoulos' injury seriously and that he should have been replaced immediately.
Papadopoulos has been out of action with a knee injury since then and is expected to return to the pitch for the second half of the domestic season in January.
For their part, the federation through its team physician Haris Christopoulos said that his playing after the injury did not do further damage.
"Olympiakos declares that it will not tolerate in the future its players being placed at risk because of negligence or incompetence of those responsible.
"Once more it was shown that the medical staff of the national team is dangerous for the national players," Olympiakos said in a statement then.
Santos then said that he "respects and trusts completely the medical staff" of the national team.
Source: AFP
