Soccer

Olic ruled out, Barzagli adds to Italy's problems

Group C round-up: Croatia will be without striker Ivica Olic when they open their Euro 2012 Group C campaign against the Republic…

Mon Jun 04 2012 - 01:00

Group C round-up:Croatia will be without striker Ivica Olic when they open their Euro 2012 Group C campaign against the Republic of Ireland next Sunday evening. Scans have revealed the full extent of the departing Bayern Munich frontman's thigh injury and he is expected to be out of action for between four and six weeks.

His place in the Croatia squad, who provide Ireland’s first opponents in Poznan, will be taken by Dnipro’s Nikola Kalinic. A statement on the Croatian Football Federation’s official website, www.hns-cff.hr, said: “Unfortunately, Ivica Olic will not participate at the European Championships in Ukraine and Poland, and as his replacement, coach Slaven Bilic has called Nikola Kalinic.”

Olic, who is to join Wolfsburg, suffered the injury in a friendly draw with Norway at the weekend. He is due to fly home from Croatia’s training camp in Munich later today. After facing Ireland Croatia face Italy on June 14th and Spain on the 18th.

There was more bad news in Group C for Italy with defender Andrea Barzagli adding to their mounting worries after he was ruled out of the group phase and possibly the whole tournament with a calf strain. The centre back suffered the injury in Friday's woeful 3-0 friendly defeat by Russia.

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"We could change a player 24 hours before the Euros. But we will try to get him fit," Italy team doctor Enrico Castellacci told Italian media before the squad jet to their Polish base in Krakow tomorrow. "We are confident he can recover but in any case he would not be available in the first phase."

Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia, who was in the provisional squad, could be called up if Italy decide not to risk Juventus's Barzagli. Italy's loss to Russia, where slapstick defending was to blame for two of the goals, had led coach Cesare Prandelli to ponder switching to three at the back but Barzagli's problem changes the dynamic.

Prandelli has already had to do without left back Domenico Criscito after he was dropped when he was formally warned by police that he was under investigation for match-fixing. The wide-ranging scandal, the second big match-fixing affair in Italy in six years, has cast a shadow over the Azzurri's preparations for their Group C opener against holders Spain in Gdansk.