Ajax suffer Chivu setback
Monday, October 14, 2002
Article summary
AFC Ajax's Romanian defender Cristian Chivu will be out for a month after agitating a knee injury.
Article body
Champions League blow
Chivu has flown back to Amsterdam from Bucharest for surgery and could miss Ajax's three remaining UEFA Champions League games in Group D.
'On one leg'
The 21-year-old admitted to playing the last 10 minutes of Saturday's 1-0 reverse "on one leg". Chivu, who had been struggling with a meniscus problem in his right knee, was kept on the pitch by coach Anghel Iordanescu despite asking to be substituted.
Missing dates
He is out of Romania's Group 2 game against Luxembourg on Wednesday and is also likely to miss Ajax's matches against Rosenborg BK, Olympique Lyonnais and Internazionale FC, the last of which is on 12 November.
Ajax upset
Chivu's Ajax team-mate, the Norwegian international André Bergdølmo, said: "The Ajax coaches will be very upset when they find out what happened."