Weekend Injury Report: Will Mexes Play?

After playing a vital role in Roma’s Coppa Italia win yesterday, Philippe Mexès may be in for a huge disappointment as Euro 2008 approaches. He left the cup final with Inter late in the second half, after suffering a knee injury. Mexès and the rest of the French side arrived today in Tignes for the next round of pre-tournament training, but France manager Raymond Domenech is clearly worried about his star central defender. Mexès will undergo further tests, and given his form for Roma this season, it would be a massive loss to Les Bleus if he was unable to play, and of course a crushing disappointment to him as well.

As if Roma’s cup win didn’t come at high enough of a cost, it may have resulted in a serious loss for Italy as well. Like fellow goalscorer Mexès, Simone Perrotta left the pitch for Roma late in the match, nursing a calf injury.

In other fitness news, Turkey is celebrating the return of Bayern Munich midfielder Hamit Altıntop, who says he has “totally recovered” from a previous foot injury. But it’s not all rosy for the Turks, as right back Gokhan Gonul has pulled himself out of Turkey’s 27-man provisional squad. Gonul fractured a metatarsal in his right foot while on club duties for Fenerbahce. The defender was a star at Fener this season, and will be sorely missed when Turkey lines up opposite Portugal on June 7th.

For Sweden, both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Markus Rosenberg are set to miss tomorrow’s friendly with Slovenia, but injuries to both are being considered minor, and should not affect their appearance at Euro 2008.

As the provisional squads are slowly pared down to the 23-man tournament rosters, team managers will have to sit down and consider which of their injured stars are worth one of those coveted spots, and which will have to be told the heartbreaking news that they will have to stay home.

Late addition: Kuba Blaszczykowski is injured for Poland.