Czech coach down with player injuries

Westerburg (Germany): Czech striker Jan Koller has strained his hamstring and may not be fit until the quarter-final stage of the World Cup, the team's doctor said on Tuesday.

"It could be anything between 10 days and six weeks," the doctor said.

"Koller, Baros, Smicer, these are serious losses for us," said Czech Republic coach Brueckner.

"We hope that he (Koller) would be able to play in a quarter-final."

Koller was carried off on a stretcher just before halftime in Monday's game against the United States, which the Czech Republic won 3-0, thanks in part to an early goal from Koller.

There have been conflicting reports over the severity of the injury, with coach Karel Brueckner saying on Monday it was serious but others, including Koller himself, saying he might only miss a game or two.

Brueckner now finds himself without three of his main forwards. Vladimir Smicer had already pulled out before the tournament with an injury and Koller's usual partner Milan Baros has hardly trained in Germany because of a foot problem.

"Koller, Baros, Smicer, these are serious losses for us," Brueckner said after a training session at the team's Westerburg base.

But he said that did not mean the team would fall apart.

"We have played several times without Koller, without (Vratislav) Lokvenc, without Baros, without (Pavel) Nedved, without (Tomas) Rosicky, we're not going to have the ideal line-up. But there is strength in the team," he said.

That strength showed itself on Monday in the form of midfielders Rosicky, who scored two goals, and Nedved, who despite his 33 years outpaced younger opponents on the pitch.

Ahead of the next Group E match against Ghana on Saturday, doctors could not offer Brueckner comfort in the form of a return to fitness of Baros, who hurt his foot in a friendly on June 3.

"It is painful and hard to treat. We've tried everything but it has not been so successful," Foucek said.

Asked when Baros might be fit to play, Foucek said: "I don't know exactly, we'll see."

World Cup organisers took the unusual step of sending Koller a bouquet and wishes for a speedy recovery.