Nihat to stay with Turkish team

Turkey star Nihat Kahveci will postpone the surgery needed to his thigh in order to stay with the team, he announced.

Nihat, who plays his club football for Spanish side Villarreal, suffered a thigh injury during the final phase of the match with Croatia and will require a recovery time of about six weeks after surgery.

Turkey play their semi final clash with Germany, and Nihat wants to give all the mental support he can: “I don’t want to watch the match from a hospital bed. It was a blow to me. The chance to play a semi final at a European Championship, only comes along once in your life. I’m very sad, but I’ll support the team.”

Turkey boss Fatih Terim has serious problems to worry about ahead of the match, as only fourteen players are available due to injuries and suspensions.

The Turks asked UEFA to end Volkan Demirel’s suspension but had their request turned down.

Terim does still have a reserve goalkeeper to work with, but Tolga Zengin has been told to mentally prepare for an appearance as field player.