Galatasaray missing Muslera and Sneijder
Monday, November 4, 2013
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Galatasaray AŞ's Fernando Muslera could miss two Group B games with a broken toe while a recurring thigh injury keeps Wesley Sneijder out of the FC København trip.
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Galatasaray AŞ goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and midfielder Wesley Sneijder will miss Tuesday's UEFA Champions League visit to FC København, with injuries ruling both players out of action for two to three weeks.
The 27-year-old Muslera broke a toe after tangling with Fanis Gekas in Friday's 2-1 Super League win against Konyaspor, struggling on until the final whistle before a scan revealed the extent of his problem. He will sit out the FCK game, Sunday's derby fixture at Fenerbahçe SK and potentially the matchday five meeting with Real Madrid CF. Eray İşcan, who underwent knee surgery in September, is likely to deputise in Muslera's absence.
Sneijder may prove harder to replace, with the 29-year-old coming off after eight minutes of the Konyaspor match after a recurring injury to his right thigh flared up. The Dutchman has improved significantly since the arrival of new Galatasaray coach Roberto Mancini, with a goal in the Netherlands' 2-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying victory against Turkey on 15 October the start of a hot streak; he registered in all three of his club's subsequent games, twice against Kardemir Karabükspor and then once against København and Kayserispor.
Galatasaray are second in Group B with four points from their first three fixtures.