Knežević struck down by knee blow
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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Croatia defender Dario Knežević is almost certain to miss the rest of UEFA EURO 2008™ after suffering a knee injury in Monday's 1-0 victory against Poland.
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Runje collision
The 26-year-old limped off the pitch at the Wörthersee Stadion after 27 minutes after colliding with his own goalkeeper Vedran Runje. "He's not injured badly and won't be out long term, but it's 99 per cent sure he's out of this tournament," said coach Slaven Bilić. "He's strained ligaments in his left knee. It's a big blow for us because he's one of our biggest strengths in defence."
Minor knocks
A centre-back based at AS Livorno Calcio, Knežević came into the tournament with just seven international caps, but he performed well as a substitute during Croatia's first two Group B victories over Austria and Germany and was rewarded with a starting berth against the Poles. Bilić also indicated that a number of other players picked up minor complaints in Klagenfurt, though he expects them all to be fit to face Turkey in Friday's quarter-final: "We have a few more [injured players], but they just have knocks and will be back in training tomorrow."