DAWN.COM

Today's Paper | May 04, 2024

Published 20 Jun, 2012 04:11pm

Rosicky gives Czechs hope as he resumes training

Czech Republic captain, Tomas Rosicky, resumed training on Wednesday, giving some cause for optimism that he will be able to start Thursday's Euro 2012 quarter-final against Portugal in Warsaw, the Czech Football Association said.

The 31-year-old playmaker - a member of the flair-filled Czech side that reached the Euro semi-finals in 2004 - has been struggling with an inflamed Achilles tendon injury which kept him out of the final group match (a 1-0 win over Poland) and saw him return to Prague for treatment.

However, the Arsenal star was able to do some light training on Wednesday ahead of the squad's departure for Warsaw later, where the semi-final takes place.

“Rosicky returned to the team after two-days of treatment in Prague and underwent light training,” the association said.

“It's still true that we will decide whether he will play or not only before the game,” national team spokesman Jaroslav Kolar said on the association website.

Rosicky suffered his latest setback during the first-half of the 2-1 win over Greece in their second group match, and while he was ably replaced by Daniel Kolar the skipper is pivotal to the side.

Rosicky's career has been plagued by injuries, and after missing Euro 2008 he had also been a doubt for this edition after suffering a calf injury in Arsenal's last Premier League match of the season.

The Czech captain left Wroclaw for Prague on Sunday to undergo treatment on his Achilles tendon under the supervision of a renowned Czech physiotherapist.

Read Comments

Pakistan's 'historic' lunar mission to be launched on Friday aboard China lunar probe Next Story