Euro 2012: Milan Baros injury is main concern for Czech coach Smicer

TENSIONS between the Czechs and Russians have largely evaporated in the decades since Soviet troops led a Warsaw Pact occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968. But they live on in sporting arenas and will be renewed tonight at Wroclaw’s Municipal Stadium, just hours after Group A rivals Poland and Greece kick off the European Championship in Warsaw.

Czech Republic team manager Vladimir Smicer has fond memories of the countries’ last meeting at a European Championship, in 1996. He scored a last-minute goal to salvage a 3-3 draw that was enough to put the Czechs through and eliminate Russia from a tournament where the Czechs finished runners-up. If the Czechs are to reproduce that run to the final at Euro 2012, coach Michal Bilek will need striker Milan Baros to be fully fit.

The Galatasaray star strained a muscle in training on Tuesday and is struggling to be fit for his team’s opener, although a scan on Wednesday showed no major muscle damage for the 30-year-old, who has scored 41 international goals. “He doesn’t have to train,” Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech said. “If he plays and scores, that’s fine.”

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Baros, Cech and captain Tomas Rosicky, who has recovered from a calf injury, are the undisputed stars of a young Czech team that is rebuilding after the retirement of several long-serving internationals, including all-time leading scorer Jan Koller and midfielders Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky and Smicer. Cech must be hoping 2012 will never end after helping Chelsea beat Liverpool to win the FA Cup and following up with the Champions League title so long coveted by Stamford Bridge owner Roman Abramovich.

Cech was the hero of the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, saving penalties from Arjen Robben in regulation time and Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger in the shootout. “A success at the championship in summer would be great,” Cech said. “I would be really grateful if I could win a medal with the national team.”

Russia, coached by former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat in his first and last tournament before moving to PSV Eindhoven, take a 14-match unbeaten run into the game and hope to go one better than the team that reached the semi-finals four years ago, under another Dutch coach, Guus Hiddink.

Russia are largely untroubled by fitness worries apart from first-choice keeper Igor Akinfeev, whose left knee injury has played up and could prevent him starting tonight.

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