Rosicky expected to recover for Czechs

PRAGUE, May 30: Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky is expected to recover in time for the World Cup finals after a medical check-up showed his leg injury was not serious.

''The medical examination came out in an excellent way. It is nothing serious,'' the daily newspaper Sport quoted coach Karel Brueckner as saying.

Rosicky, who last week signed for Arsenal for eight million pounds (14.91 million dollars), picked up the injury in the friendly against Saudi Arabia on Friday.

He has been with the team in the northern city of Jablonec where the Czechs play Costa Rica later today, although he is not expected to play in the match.

There was more good news for the Czechs as striker Jan Koller, who has been recovering from knee surgery, trained with the squad over the past few days and is likely to play some part against Costa Rica.

Brueckner also expects captain Tomas Galasek, sidelined with a knee injury, to be fit within a few days.

The biggest worry for the Czechs remains midfielder Vladimir Smicer who suffered a setback in his recovery from a leg injury last week and may not play at all in Germany.

The Czechs play Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday in their last warm-up match before facing the United States in their opening game of the tournament on June 12.

The Czech Republic also face Italy and Ghana in Group E.

REUTERS