ROMARIO missed training on Friday due to his persistent calf injury, raising fears that the striker might not be fit for Brazil's opening match of the World Cup finals against Scotland on 10 June - and could therefore miss the entire tournament. While the world champions were practising on the pitch of their camp in Ozoir-La-Ferriere, some 25 kms outside Paris, Romario stayed in the team's residence in nearby Lesigny, to work with a physiotherapist. He had returned to light training earlier in the week and the camp were confident he would be fit, but this fresh setback means the Brazilians may need to think again about whether they can gamble on having a struggling player in their squad.
I don't know how serious his injury is, I'm not a doctor, said coach Mario Zagallo. All I can tell you is it's too early to make any kind of decision. The 32-year-old Flamengo player has not trained properly since sustaining his injury in a league match on 7 May, and will miss his team's last two warm-up games, against Athletic Bilbao today and against Andorra on 3 June.
Brazil face a tricky decision, with squads due to be handed in on 2 June. Do they replace the star striker of their 1994 World Cup-winning team, or give him time to recover? Team doctor Lidio Toledo said he would prefer to keep him. I have no doubt that Romario will be able to play in the World Cup, even if he has to miss a match or two, he said. Romario works five hours a day, either doing exercises with the physiotherapist, jogging or cycling. The way he is recovering is satisfactory.
But Brazil's technical co-ordinator, former World Cup star Zico, hinted he would prefer to call in another player if Romario was not 100% fit. We will have to see what things look like shortly before 2 June and make a decision then, Zico said. I'm not saying he will not play, but it would be a lie to say that the situation is not worrying.

ZUBIZARETTA OFFERED POST AS ASSISTANT TO CLEMENTE SPANISH coach Javier Clemente has offered goalkeeper and captain Andoni Zubizarreta a job as his assistant after the World Cup finals. Zubizarreta, 36, is Spain's most experienced international, with a record 123 caps to his name. The Valencia player recently announced he would retire from club and international soccer after his fourth World Cup finals. He is the number one in the history of Spanish football and, if he wants, when he retires, working for the Spanish Federation would be a great help to me, Clemente said. If he accepts, he would be an important person in the organisation of the team and a great help with selection. The pair, who are both Basques, are great friends and the coach usually consults his most senior squad member about selection and tactics before announcing his plans to other players. Clemente said Zubizarreta could work closely alongside him during the campaign for the 2000 European Championships. Zubizarreta has yet to make any decision about his future.

BLATTER BACKS GIRL POWER FOR FIFA SEPP BLATTER, battling with UEFA's Lennart Johansson to become FIFA president, is determined to see a woman on the executive committee if he is elected next month. Whoever wins the job will have a massive role in determining who will host the 2006 World Cup. This is just the latest piece of manoeuvring as the two attempt to win enough votes to take the job, ahead of the election in Paris on 8 June. Of the 200 million licensed players in the world, 40 million are women. A woman must be on the executive committee, said Blatter, FIFA's general secretary for the past 17 years. Blatter is looking to increase the number of seats on the executive committee, from the current total of 24, so this move should not lead to disaffection among current members, and would increase the patronage of the FIFA president. It could prove a vote-winner.

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