Beşiktaş lose Quaresma for Stoke decider
Saturday, December 10, 2011
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Beşiktaş JK midfielder Ricardo Quaresma will miss his side's decisive Group E match against Stoke City FC on Thursday after being ruled out until the end of the year with a knee injury.
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Beşiktaş JK must make do without in-form midfielder Ricardo Quaresma for their deciding UEFA Europa League group match against Stoke City FC next week after the Portuguese international sustained a knee injury.
Quaresma, who been one of Beşiktaş's most impressive performers during their recent run of good results, sustained the injury after scoring the opening goal in Thursday's 4-1 Süper Lig victory against Manisaspor. Tests subsequently revealed torn ligaments in the right knee which will sideline the winger for at least three weeks.
The news is a blow for the Black Eagles, who lie third in the Turkish standings after three consecutive league wins, as the 28-year-old was in a rich vein of form. Quaresma had scored four goals in his last three matches, including a winning penalty against Trabzonspor AŞ and two strikes that helped his side seal a dramatic 3-2 UEFA Europa League triumph against Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC on matchday five.
Beşiktaş, who lie second in UEFA Europa League Group E, host Stoke on Thursday requiring a draw to qualify for the round of 32.
