Krstajic injury adds to Serbia's woes

Serbia and Montenegro’s disappointing end to their World Cup campaign has been further marred by the news defender Mladen Krstajic broke his arm in the 3-2 defeat against the Ivory Coast tonight.

The Schalke player, who recently announced he was retiring from international football after Germany, was forced off the pitch early in the first half against the Africans and taken to hospital, where scans revealed the damage.

“Mladen broke his left arm in the first half, and, if I’m correct, at the moment he is undergoing surgery,” said Serbo-Montenegrin coach Ilija Petkovic.

“At the moment, I can only say that I’m in shock because of Krstajic. To lose such a player, in such manner, it’s a horrible thing.

“We have had many problems before and during this tournament, but this one happened during the game, it’s shocking.”

Serbia and Montenegro will play no part in the knock-out stages of the tournament following defeats to Holland, Argentina and the Ivory Coast in Group C.