Matuzalem woe for Shakhtar
Friday, November 10, 2006
Article summary
Playmaker Matuzalem will miss the remainder of FC Shakhtar Donetsk's UEFA Champions League group stage campaign after tearing a muscle in his thigh.
Article body
Painful tear
The Brazilian playmaker was taken off after 29 minutes of Monday's 1-0 Ukrainian Premier League defeat at leaders FC Dynamo Kyiv and is expected to be out of action until 2007. "He has a tear in his thigh muscle," said Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu. "He felt a sharp pain after going into a challenge in the Dynamo game and asked to be substituted shortly after."
Shakhtar regular
The 26-year-old has played in all four of Shakhtar's Group D matches, from which they have taken two points. The Ukrainian title-holders have an outside chance of reaching the knockout stage, but with fixtures against AS Roma and Olympiacos CFP to come, their best hope of progressing in Europe seems to be via third place in their section and entry to the UEFA Cup.
