Rosicky out of Euro 2008

The Czech Republic's injured captain Tomas Rosicky announced Friday that he will not be taking part in next month's European Championships due to a recurring knee injury.

“I'm not capable of starting the European Championships. My injury requires an operation. I will go (for it) at the start of next week,” Rosicky told a special news conference.

The announcement comes a month after local football chiefs raised the alarm over the Arsenal midfield star's Euro chances because of a painful knee injury which has stopped him playing since the end of January.

Speculation has mounted locally that manger Karel Bruckner would be forced to try and tempt Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved to return to the national team after his international retirement declared soon after the 2006 World Cup.

Reading's Marek Matejovsky, Jaroslav Plasil, of Spanish side Osasuna, or Hamburg's David Jarolim are other options for the key playmaker role for the tournament starting June 7-29.

Rosicky, 27, was cleared by Arsenal to recover in his homeland in mid-April and he had declared an improvement in his health at the end of the month.

The Czechs face co-hosts Switzerland, Portugal and Turkey.