Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar missed practice for the second day in a row as he recovers from a back injury and starting leftback Michel Bastos left training on Friday with a right ankle problem.
Michel Bastos injured his ankle in a battle for the ball with midfielder Elano. He tried to keep playing, but eventually left the field on his own. Brazil team doctor Jose Luiz Runco confirmed the injury, but said it was not a concern.
While the rest of Brazil’s players trained on Friday, Julio Cesar underwent intensive physiotherapy treatment at the team’s hotel. He also missed the team’s training in Soweto on Thursday.
Julio Cesar fell awkwardly and injured his back during the team’s 3-0 win over Zimbabwe on Wednesday in Harare.
Doctors say the injury is not serious and should not keep the goalkeeper from playing in Brazil’s World Cup opener against North Korea on June 15.
It wasn’t clear, however, if the Inter player would be available for Brazil’s last warm-up against Tanzania tomorrow in Dar es Salaam.
“It’s not a big problem,” coach Dunga said. “In two or three days, he will be back to normal.”
Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes replaced Julio Cesar halfway through the match against Zimbabwe and played well. Brazil’s third goalkeeper is AS Roma’s Doni.
Julio Cesar enters the World Cup as one of Brazil’s top players after helping Inter win all three competitions they played in this season — the Champions League, Serie A and the Italian Cup.
Two other Brazilian players arrived in South Africa nursing injuries, Kaka and Julio Fabiano, but both have guaranteed they will also be ready to play against North Korea. Kaka and Julio Fabiano didn’t play the entire match against Zimbabwe as both have left thigh injuries.
It wasn’t clear if Michel Bastos would play against Tanzania. He scored his first international goal from a powerful free-kick against Zimbabwe.
■DROGBA INJURED
Reuters, SION, Switzerland
Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba is a serious doubt for the World Cup after injuring his elbow in a low-key friendly against Japan on Friday that turned into unexpected drama.
Defender Kolo Toure said Drogba had told his teammates that his World Cup was over, although coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said he was still hopeful he could play.
Drogba, 32, a talismanic figure for the Elephants with 42 goals in 67 appearances, limped off after a crunching challenge from Tulio sent him falling awkwardly to the ground after 15 minutes.
He was taken to hospital and a team source said that he had fractured his elbow, although there was no official confirmation from Ivorian officials.
His absence would be a huge blow to the Ivorians, who have been transformed from a middle-ranking team to a major force in African soccer since Drogba came onto the scene.
“It’s obviously very sad, for him he said that the World Cup is finished, we’re just waiting for what the doctor says,” vice-captain Toure told reporters.
Eriksson said, though, there was still a chance Drogba could play at the tournament which kicks off on Friday.
“We are not sure yet, we think it’s still a possibility,” he said.
Drogba left the stadium with his arm in a cast and a wry smile on his face as he walked to the team bus amid heavy security, cheered by about 50 onlookers.
Ivory Coast won the game, only their second under Eriksson’s leadership, 2-0. Drogba set up the first goal when his free-kick was deflected into the net by Tulio for an own-goal. Toure sidefooted home the second nine minutes from time to condemn Japan to their fourth successive defeat.
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