Rosicky out of Euro 2008

Czech Republic captain Tomas Rosicky has announced that he will not be taking part in next month’s European Championships due to a recurring knee injury.

Rosicky held a news conference to announce the decision. “I’m not capable of starting the European Championships. My injury requires an operation. I will go (for it) at the start of next week. I’m maybe enduring the worst period in my career. I lost out on most of the season with Arsenal. I was really looking forward to the championships.”

Rosicky, 27, was cleared by Arsenal to recover in his homeland in mid-April and he had declared an improvement in his health at the end of the month. Speculation has mounted that Czech manger Karel Bruckner would be forced to try and tempt Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved to return to the national team. Nedved retired from international football soon after the 2006 World Cup.

“The ball is now with Pavel,” commented Czech Football Federation spokesman Lukas Tucek. “He must decide if he wants to return.”

Reading’s Marek Matejovsky, Osasuna’s Jaroslav Plasil or Hamburg’s David Jarolim are other options for the key playmaker role should Nedved not return.