Czech striker Baros cleared to resume running

WESTERBURG, June 18 (Reuters) Czech striker Milan Baros, who has missed the first two World Cup games with a foot injury, has been cleared to start running again, a team spokesman said today.

But it was unclear if this meant there was a chance he could be fit for Thursday's decisive Group E game against Italy.

''He will do only running tomorrow,'' team spokesman Lukas Tucek said.

It will be the first time Baros has done any running since sustaining the injury in a June 3 friendly. The only exercise he has done since is cycling, having tried unsuccessfully to take part in training with the help of painkillers.

Any hint that Baros could be returning to full fitness would be greatly welcomed by the Czech team, who are much depleted ahead of the match against Italy, which they need to win to guarantee a place in the knock-out stage.

Doctors have ruled out striker Jan Koller with a hamstring injury for the rest of the group stage, while his replacement Vratislav Lokvenc is suspended for the next game.

The decision that Baros, leading scorer at Euro 2004 when the Czechs reached the semi-finals, could begin running came after a hospital scan.

REUTERS AY PM1905