Czech Republic team officials say it is still too early to know whether the Czech Republic will be without their prolific international striker, Jan Koller, who is trying to recover from a knee ligament injury in time to play at the World Cup finals.

“It's too soon to say at the moment,” Czech national team spokesman Lukas Tucek said on Friday. “He's exercising, that's all we know.”

The Borussia Dortmund striker was initially expected to be sidelined for eight months after tearing ligaments in his left knee during a Bundesliga match in September.

In a recent interview, Koller said there was a 50% chance of him being fit for the World Cup Finals, which kicks-off in Germany in June. He said a decisive medical check was planned for the beginning of May.

Koller has become a prominent goalscorer for his national team, having scored 40 goals in his 66 appearances for the Czech Republic, scoring nine goals in the Czech Republic's World Cup qualifying campaign, prompting Czech Coach Karel Bruckner to call his possible absence from the squad as "The biggest loss.''

The Czech Republic have been drawn in Group E in the World Cup finals, and start their tournament against the United States on June 12, then play Ghana on June 17, and Italy on June 22.

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