Kežman compelled to undergo surgery

Mateja Kežman is likely to miss Fenerbahçe SK's next two UEFA Champions League games as well as vital UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifiers with Serbia after undergoing knee surgery.

Serious pain
Kežman had been experiencing pain in recent weeks and though initial assessments suggested a calf injury, a scan showed he had damaged ligaments in his right knee. The striker had been told at the start of the season that the knee – which had caused him problems in his time at Club Atlético de Madrid – would not require an operation unless he was in serious pain, but he had surgery in Qatar today and will be out for a month.

'In a month'
The 28-year-old had been criticised for poor form for the Turkish champions this term, but he explained: "My injury is a serious one. For the last two or three months I have been suffering but I didn't want to abandon my team-mates and tried controlling the situation with painkillers. However, the pain got worse which has led to an operation. I think I'll be ready in a month. So far, I've performed at 20 per cent. When I return I will be ready to give 100 per cent."

Games missed
That month off will rule him out of Fenerbahçe's UEFA Champions League Group G matches at home to PSV Eindhoven and away to FC Internazionale Milano, and he will also sit out Serbia's concluding UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifiers at home against Kazakhstan and Poland on 17 and 21 November. Serbia are third in the eight-team Group A, three points behind second-placed Portugal and a further point adrift of leaders Poland.