Spain's Guardiola out of World Cup

MILAN (Reuters) -- Spain midfielder Pep Guardiola will miss the World Cup finals for the second time in succession after tests on an injury to his right knee on Tuesday revealed ligament damage.

"He has suffered damage to his collateral ligament and will be out until the end of July," a spokesman for Guardiola's Italian club Brescia told Reuters.

After missing France '98 because of a knee injury, former Barcelona captain Guardiola was hoping to make a late bid to be part of Jose Antonio Camacho's squad.

But he sustained another knee injury during Brescia's 5-0 defeat by Juventus in Serie A on Sunday and that has killed off his World Cup hopes.

The World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan begin on May 31. Spain face Slovenia, Paraguay and South Africa in group B in the first round.

"The year started badly and ended worse," Guardiola was quoted as saying on the Web site of Spanish sports daily Marca.

"It's not that serious an injury -- in a month I'll be back running -- but it's very grave because it comes a few days before the Brescia game that will decide if we survive or not."

Three clubs are already doomed to relegation in Serie A and Brescia are fighting to avoid the fourth and last spot.

They are two points behind the other candidates, Piacenza and Verona, and play Bologna in their final game on Sunday.

Guardiola served a four-month ban earlier this season after two positive tests for the banned steroid nandrolone, but since returning in March he has featured regularly for Brescia.

Camacho had recently said that Guardiola remained in the frame for a place in his final squad of 23 but he was not called up for friendlies against Northern Ireland and the Netherlands.

Guardiola played every game for Spain at Euro 2000, helping them reach the quarterfinals. He was also a member of the Spanish team that reached the last eight at the World Cup in the United States in 1994.

 

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