Ronaldo must up his game for Portugal : Moras and Nani out Suazo Back in Training
Portugal suffered a major blow to their World Cup campaign after their wingman Nani will not be able to play in the most anticipated sporting event of the year.
The 23-year old Manchester United star damaged his collar bone during their training for the World Cup. Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz was visibly upset by the unfortunate turn of events and said that his game plan will need a lot of adjustments because before the incident, Nani was a major part of their plan.
"Following the injury to the left clavicle suffered by Nani, a daily assessment of the damage and the completion of medical tests, we have concluded he is unable to be competitive." said in a statement released by the Portuguese Football Federation.
"The medical file will now be presented to the medical department of Manchester United. In light of the report, the Portuguese Football Federation, taking into account the FIFA regulations for the 2010 World Cup, we will call-up a player as a replacement for Nani. After tests we conclude he is unfit to participate in the World Cup,"
Nani played very well for the Manchester United and he was a very vital part for Portugal in their success in the World Cup Qualifying. He appeared in 11 of Portugal’s 12 games and he was instrumental in Bruno Alves’ winning goal in the first leg of the play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Benfica midfielder Ruben Amorim will likely be the replacement for Nani’s slot in the team. He played 24 games for Benfica in which they won the title for the first time in five years.
On the other hand, Greece’s central defender Vangelis Moras is still questionable for their opening group match against South Korea.
The 28-year old Greek, who is known for his commanding presence in the defensive end of the game, is still recuperating from a thigh injury. Moras, who also played for the Greece Men’s Football Team in the 2004 Athens Olympics, has not participated in any training for the past few weeks and will still continue to receive treatment for his injury.
"He is very unlikely to play against South Korea unless there is a last-minute medical wonder," Greek Federation announced.
Striker Pantelis Kapetanos and defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos is also suffering from minor injueries but they will not miss their opening match in the World Cup.
Greece, which is playing in their second World Cup, is bracketed in Group B with Korea, Nigeria, and Argentina.
While other World Cup Teams are having problems with their lineup because of injuries, Chile got a big boost to their campaign after their leading striker Humberto Suazo showed some good signs after participating for the first time in their training.
The 30-year old forward sustained a small tear in his left hamstring in a friendly match against Israel last May 31. Suazo’s teammates are hoping that he will be fit and ready when they face Honduras in their opening game clash.
"He started running again yesterday. He's a very important player for us so we're all happy to see him training again," Chilean captain and Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo said.
Chile’s Mark Gonzales is also excited to see Suazo back in their training because he’s one of his main partners in their offensive attacks. But he hopes that his teammate will overcome what he described as a “delicate situation” and help them have a decent showing in the World Cup.
"We all hope that Humberto can play in every match.But we have to be realistic and it might be better if he misses one or two matches and is 100 percent fit for the third." Gonzales said.
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