Iceland wait on Arason
Thursday, March 6, 2003
Article summary
Árni Gautur Arason may miss Iceland's UEFA EURO 2004™ trip to Scotland after surgery on his left elbow.
Article body
The experienced Icelandic international Árni Gautur Arason may miss his country's UEFA EURO 2004™ trip to Scotland later this month after the goalkeeper had surgery on his left elbow.
Out for a month
The 27-year-old had the operation in Trondheim on Monday after returning from a Rosenborg BK training camp in La Manga, Spain. He is expected to be out for a month, placing his participation against the Scots on 29 March in doubt. Arason said: "I have been suffering from severe pain and reduced ability to move the elbow for a while now. The operation was successful in term of removing the two splinters that caused the whole problem."
Firm favourites
It is a game Iceland cannot afford to lose if they are to finish in one of the top two positions in Group 5. With maximum points secured from two games, Germany look the firm favourites to qualify as section winners, leaving second-placed Scotland and Iceland in third vying for the runners-up spot. Scotland stole a march on Iceland when winning 2-0 at the Laugardalsvöllur stadium in Reykjavik last October.
