Czechs recall Nedved for World Cup play-off

Pavel Nedved will return to help the injury-ravaged Czech Republic in this month's World Cup play-off against Norway after a 16-month absence, coach Karel Brueckner said yesterday.

The Juventus midfielder is included in the squad for the first time since retiring from internationals after the Czechs lost 1-0 to eventual champions Greece in the Euro 2004 semi-finals.

The former European Footballer of the Year hurt his knee in that game and said he no longer wanted to play for his country because of the toll it was taking on his body.

But in recent weeks the 33-year-old let it be known he would consider a return to the squad for the play-off only after a rash of injuries hit the team.

In announcing his 23 players, Brueckner also included Monaco midfielder Jaroslav Plasil who is coming back from a foot injury.

The Czechs will still be without strikers Jan Koller and Vratislav Lokvenc but Aston Villa's Milan Baros has recovered from an Achilles problem and may be paired with Galatasaray's Marek Heinz.

Nedved's return also gives Brueckner the option of playing five midfielders, with Girondins Bordeaux's Vladimir Smicer assuming an attacking role.

The Czechs kick off the two-legged play-off in Oslo on Nov. 12, before returning home for the second leg on Nov. 16.