Czechia face anxious wait over fitness of star attacker Sulc ahead of Ireland play-off
The Czechia manager has said he is praying the Lyon attacker would stay fit to face Ireland – but he was substituted last night with an apparent muscle injury.
IRELAND’S WORLD CUP play-off opponents Czechia are anxiously awaiting scans to confirm the severity of a muscle injury suffered by Lyon forward Pavel Sulc in a Ligue Un clash with Strasbourg on Sunday.
Sulc, 25, is a versatile attacker who has played as a false nine, central attacking midfielder and off the right in a highly productive season for Lyon, scoring 10 goals in 21 Ligue Un appearances so far this season.
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He was withdrawn in the first half of last night’s 3-1 defeat to Strasbourg, however, having sat down on the turf with an apparent thigh injury. He was eventually substituted having been unable to play on. Preliminary reports in France suggest Sulc will miss between four and six weeks of action, which would leave him in a race against time to be fit to face Ireland on 26 March. Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca said Sulc will undergo a scan today to determine the significance of the injury.
“I don’t know how serious the injury is”, said Fonseca. “We’ll see on Monday after the examination, I have to talk to the doctor first. But it’s a muscle problem in the back of the thigh.”
Though Czechia have plenty of in-form attacking options including Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick, Sulc’s absence would be a significant blow.
New Czech boss Miroslav Kobeck worked with Sulc at Viktoria Plzen, and sang his praises earlier this month.
“I have no doubt that he will maintain his form, but I will pray that he does not get injured”, said Koubek at the start of February. “We have to create service for him, but he also has to create service for others. It is mutual.”
Koubek now faces an anxious wait to see whether his prayers will be answered.
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Czechia face anxious wait over fitness of star attacker Sulc ahead of Ireland play-off
IRELAND’S WORLD CUP play-off opponents Czechia are anxiously awaiting scans to confirm the severity of a muscle injury suffered by Lyon forward Pavel Sulc in a Ligue Un clash with Strasbourg on Sunday.
Sulc, 25, is a versatile attacker who has played as a false nine, central attacking midfielder and off the right in a highly productive season for Lyon, scoring 10 goals in 21 Ligue Un appearances so far this season.
He was withdrawn in the first half of last night’s 3-1 defeat to Strasbourg, however, having sat down on the turf with an apparent thigh injury. He was eventually substituted having been unable to play on. Preliminary reports in France suggest Sulc will miss between four and six weeks of action, which would leave him in a race against time to be fit to face Ireland on 26 March. Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca said Sulc will undergo a scan today to determine the significance of the injury.
“I don’t know how serious the injury is”, said Fonseca. “We’ll see on Monday after the examination, I have to talk to the doctor first. But it’s a muscle problem in the back of the thigh.”
Though Czechia have plenty of in-form attacking options including Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick, Sulc’s absence would be a significant blow.
New Czech boss Miroslav Kobeck worked with Sulc at Viktoria Plzen, and sang his praises earlier this month.
“I have no doubt that he will maintain his form, but I will pray that he does not get injured”, said Koubek at the start of February. “We have to create service for him, but he also has to create service for others. It is mutual.”
Koubek now faces an anxious wait to see whether his prayers will be answered.
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