Czech Republic and Girondins Bordeaux midfielder Vladimir Smicer has been ruled out of the World Cup Finals due to a leg injury, the CTK news agency quoted the player as saying on Thursday.

The former Liverpool midfielder has been struggling for fitness since injuring a tendon behind his right knee in February.

Smicer was diagnosed with a blood clot in his thigh muscle by team doctors at the Czech Republic training camp in Austria last week after consistently suffering pain in the region.

The 33-year-old Champion League winner did not play in the Czech’s 1-0 win against Costa Rica on Tuesday, with Glasgow Rangers’ midfielder Libor Sionko likely to be called up to replace Smicer.

Sionko has been training with the team as coach Karel Brückner included extra players in case replacements were needed.

The Czechs have been drawn in Group E in the World Cup Finals, alongside France, Switzerland and South Korea.

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