The Czech football team, whose match with co-hosting Switzerland will open Euro 2008 on June 7, is falling to pieces two months ahead of the tournament. Some key players are grappling with injuries, others with a loss of form.
Chelsea’s Petr Čech, the clear pick among goalkeepers, has been sidelined with a sprained ankle since early March. He was expected to return for Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Fenerbahce, but on Monday, another Chelsea player slit his chin with his shoe during practice. Mirror.co.uk said the season was over for Čech, who has 50 fresh stitches on his face, but the goalkeeper told the iDNES.cz news server he might be available to play in two weeks if he finds protective equipment for his chin to accompany the trademark helmet he has been wearing since suffering a head injury last season.
Arsenal midfielder Tomáš Rosický, the Czech team captain, has been out with a knee inflammation since end-January. The Czech team doctor Petr Krejčí said Monday the player could return in two weeks, but maybe also in six months. With this in mind, the calls for Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedvěd to return are getting louder. But Nedvěd, who has retired from international football, is injured as well – he suffered a concussion after clashing heads with an opponent in last weekend’s match.
AC Milan left defender Marek Jankulovski, another key player, underwent a knee surgery six months ago. He is still having problems, although he can play – at least for his club. But he did not appear in the last friendly against Denmark, just like Juventus Turin defender Zdeněk Grygera, the first or second choice on the right side of the Czech defence. Spartak Moskva Czech skipper Radoslav Kováč is out with a shoulder injury.
