Czech Republic midfielder Vladimir Smicer has been ruled out of his team's World Cup campaign after sustaining a thigh injury in his right leg. The French club Bordeaux midfielder, who hurt his right calf during training for a friendly against Turkey in February, felt recurrent pain during the team's training last week before doctor discovered a blood clot in his right thigh. "We came to a conclusion that, unfortunately, my condition makes it impossible for me to travel to the World Cup and help the team. It's impossible to cure the leg (in time," Smicer was quoted as saying by the CTK news agency on Thursday. "The doctors and I were not able to guarantee that I would be fit during the World Cup. I had no other choice. Now, I have to fully recover first, rest, and get ready for the next season," he added. Czech manager Karel Bruckner called up Rangers midfielder Libor Sionko to replace Smicer. The former Liverpool star didn't play Czech's 1-0 friendly victory against Costa Rica on Tuesday.
