MADRID, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish national soccer team's head doctor, Genaro Borras, has sent a report on winger Asier del Horno, to the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), the medical team told media on Tuesday.
The document argues the Spanish team should be allowed to swap del Horno for another player, because he will not be fully fit for the first match days of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The player suffered a left leg injury, which has been bothering him during the 2006 season of league games at English football clup Chelsea. In the first week of training for the national team, the injury flared up again causing him pain.
With 10 days to go before the start of the World Cup, the team does not know if it can swap the player, as the move requires FIFA approval.
Without approval, Spanish team manager, Luis Aragones, said that he would follow article 25.3 of the FIFA rulebook, which saysthat a player can only be substituted in case of serious injury, and even then, no player can be swapped in the last 24 hours before competition starts. Enditem
