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Prague has a proud history of producing supremely talented footballers, with stars going through the doors at Sparta and Slavia

The Czech Republic is frequently described as a 'Dark Horse' in European football thanks to its long history of nurturing quality footballers. The capital city, Prague, is a hotbed of talent, with an ever-growing list of stars emerging from the city.

Clubs such as Sparta Prague and Slavia Prague (read more about them here!), as well as Bohemians, have all played their part, though, very often the best players are snapped up quickly and ushered off into the arms of Europe's elite teams.

Here, GOAL takes a look at some of the best footballers who come from or are indelibly associated with Prague.

Prague is one of GOAL's Soccer Cities 23 – find out more here!

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  Tomas Rosicky

  Affectionately known as 'Little Mozart', Tomas Rosicky is one of Prague's most famous and talented football sons. The diminutive playmaker comes from a soccer family, with his father Jiri playing for Sparta Prague in the 1970s, while his brother also spent time at the club.

  Rosicky broke into the Sparta Prague first team as a teenager and played a part in securing back-to-back league titles in 1999 and 2000, but his ability was such that Europe's elite were forced to sit up and take notice.

  Borussia Dortmund came knocking and made him the most expensive player in Bundesliga history when they forked out DM 25 million (equivalent €12.7m today) for his services in 2001. Arsenal was Rosicky's next port of call in 2006 and he earned cult hero status with the Premier League club, helping them to FA Cup glory in 2014.

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  Pavel Nedved

  Pavel Nedved may not be a Prague native, but his performances for Sparta Prague, and indeed the Czech Republic national team, in the 1990s were the catalyst for his future career success. Czech fans of a certain vintage will fondly recall his pivotal role in the national team's run to the final of Euro 96.

  A truly complete midfielder, capable of playing anywhere across the line, Nedved played a part in three league titles for Sparta between 1992 and 1995 before moving on to Serie A, where he shone first for Lazio and later Juventus.

  Indeed, his displays for Juve earned him the Ballon d'Or in 2003 as he saw off challenges from the likes of Thierry Henry and Paolo Maldini. He remains, to this day, the only Czech player to win the prestigious accolade.

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  Vladimir Smicer

  Vladimir Smicer is a Premier League legend for Liverpool fans, but he is also a heroic figure in Prague, where he dazzled in the red and white of Slavia. The 80-cap Czech international began his career in the capital at Slavia and helped them to a league title in 1996.

  His career subsequently took him to France and England – he enjoyed a trophy-laden six years at Anfield, even winning the Champions League – but he made a triumphant return to Prague in 2007, helping Slavia to two more titles.

  Smicer was born in Decin, but is now an adopted son of Prague having lived there for the last quarter of a century and he proudly showed the city off to us ahead of the 2023 Europa Conference League final – check it out below!

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  Petr Cech

  Petr Cech is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time and Sparta Prague played their part in his remarkable journey when they signed him from Chmel Bisany.

  Indeed, while Cech's time in the capital was brief – just one season – his contribution was strongly felt as he went 903 competitive minutes without conceding a goal, setting a new record in the process.

  Cech left Sparta Prague for Rennes, joining the French club for a reported €5.5 million and his career went from strength to strength, first at Chelsea, where he won four Premier League titles and the Champions League, then at Arsenal, where he secured an FA Cup.

  With 124 caps for Czech Republic, he is the most-capped player in the history of the national team and his status as a legend is unquestioned.

Leeds United face an uphill task to stay in the Premier League, and new manager Sam Allardyce will surely have to improve the defence if he is going to keep the Yorkshire outfit in the Premier League.

What changes must Allardyce make to Leeds' defence?

The 4-1 defeat against Bournemouth ensured that Leeds now boast the worst defensive record in the division, with a remarkable 67 goals shipped in the top flight, which has also included heavy defeats against Liverpool and Crystal Palace in recent weeks.

Fingers have naturally been pointed at both the goalkeeper and the defence after Leeds bested their own record of goals conceded in a calendar month, and huge changes must be made by Allardyce if he wants to avoid similarly disappointing defeats against the high-flying Manchester City and Newcastle United in their next two games.

Despite the number of goals conceded, three of Leeds' defensive options rank in their top six players this season according to WhoScored, with Pascal Struijk, Max Wober and Liam Cooper all performing to a fairly consistent level in the Premier League.

Should Robin Koch be dropped by Leeds?

This begs the question therefore of why Robin Koch has been the main man for Leeds at centre-back so far this term, with the 26-year-old featuring in 33/34 Premier League games, with a shocking WhoScored average rating of 6.52.

Signed from Freiburg in 2020, the Germany international has struggled throughout his time at Elland Road, failing to average above a 6.6 rating from WhoScored in any of his seasons in the Premier League.

Speaking on a Leeds United Live Facebook stream following a 5-1 defeat against Manchester United in 2021, Beren Cross was less than complimentary of Koch's performance.

He said:

“Koch and Struijk today, not good enough at all, for me. I think I gave them 3s in the ratings.

“I mean, Fernandes almost retired Robin Koch, it was just horrible to watch, at times, because he just could not get a handle of him."

As a former defender, Allardyce will surely appreciate the need to have his best-performing centre-backs on the pitch for the final four games, and the stats certainly suggest that the £40k-per-week liability shouldn't be anywhere near the starting side.

He ranks 14th for tackles and sixth for interceptions per game in Leeds' squad, while his pass success rate of 77.6% is worrying considering he completes the second-most passes per game at Elland Road, which suggests that he often has the ball but doesn't know how to effectively use it.

Therefore, with defensive security a must for the tough upcoming fixtures, Allardyce must surely consider finally dropping Koch from the starting team.

ScorecardBen Raine top-scored for Leicestershire and then took three wickets•Getty Images

Yorkshire Vikings were never in the hunt against Leicestershire Foxes who beat them by 54 runs with eight balls remaining in the NatWest T20 Blast at Headingley.It was a disappointing start to the campaign for Yorkshire, who are desperate to do well in the competition this season under a new young captain in Alex Lees, but who drew only 6,000 to Headingley.Leicestershire could feel delighted with the result after opening with a defeat to Northamptonshire last week.Chasing a 175 victory target, Yorkshire failed to put a substantial stand together in a game which was dominated by Ben Raine and the O’Brien brothers, Kevin and Niall.Raine top-scored with 48 before opening the bowling and capturing 3 for 7 in his 3.4 overs. Niall O’Brien powered his way to 39 while Kevin hit 21 and then took three for 27.Yorkshire lost wickets at regular intervals and openers Adam Lyth and new one-day captain, Alex Lees, were both out inside the first five overs, Lyth driving Raine to mid-off and Lees turning Kevin O’Brien to leg-gully.Only Will Rhodes showed any real form, coming in at 32 for 4 and smacking 45 with three fours and two sixes before departing at 109 for 9 by driving Neil Dexter to Tom Wells at long off, by which time the game was well and truly lost for Yorkshire.A late flurry of sixes had revitalised the Foxes’ innings with 102 coming off the final ten overs. It was off the fourth delivery of the 14th over that Niall O’Brien straight drove Lyth for the first six of the match but another eight were to clear the rope in the remaining overs for Leicestershire to close on a competitive 174 for seven.All four of Niall O’Brian’s boundary shots in his 39 off 21 balls came from six hits while Raine included two fours and two sixes in his 48 from 43 deliveries.But Lewis Hill was responsible for the final flourish with three mid-wicket sixes in the last over from Ben Coad who gave away 22 runs, Hill ending unbeaten on 24 from just nine balls.Yorkshire did not have their best night in the field as three catches were put down, the easiest being when Raine, who had just pulled Adil Rashid for two sixes, survived a simple chance to Liam Plunkett on the mid-wicket boundary.Things began encouragingly for Yorkshire as Tim Bresnan, in his first appearance of the season after being sidelined with a calf muscle tear, started with a wicket maiden, Pettini forcing his fifth ball straight into the hands of Rhodes at point.Bresnan’s new ball partner, James Wainman, also enjoyed an early success on his T20 Blast debut. In Wainman’s second over, Mark Cosgrove, who had struck 20 from 11 balls, was caught at deep square leg by Coad.Bresnan and Plunkett each claimed two wickets but Leicestershire kept battling away and their destructive hitting late on proved to be decisive.

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a summer move for Leeds United defender Robin Koch, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Summer rebuild needed?

Antonio Conte accused his players of lacking ‘spirit’ in his post-match press conference after the 3-3 draw against Southampton yesterday afternoon, indicating the club could be in need of a summer rebuild, regardless of whether the manager stays.

The Lilywhites have been linked with new options at the back for quite some time now, with versatile Stuttgart defender Borna Sosa said to be of interest, while RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol is a more outlandish target.

However, Spurs could also look at bringing in a new option that has proven Premier League experience, with Koch emerging as a potential signing in recent days…

The Latest: Koch targeted

As per a report from Football Insider, Tottenham are in the market for a new centre-back this summer, and they have shortlisted the Leeds defender as a target, in light of him still not committing to a contract extension beyond the end of next season.

The Yorkshire club could look to cash in on the 26-year-old at the end of the current season to ensure that he doesn’t end up leaving for free in 2024, opening the door for a potential move to north London.

Spurs believe the centre-back could be available on the cheap this summer if Leeds are relegated to the Championship, so they are expected to continue to monitor the situation.

The Verdict: Get it done?

After the 3-3 draw against Southampton at the weekend, it is evident Spurs have glaring deficiencies in defence, with Eric Dier putting in a very poor performance, while Clement Lenglet has also been unconvincing this season, being heavily criticised by John Wenham.

Koch has been hailed by sections of the media for some of his performances this season, with pundit Clinton Morrison describing him as ‘outstanding’ after his performance against Brentford back in January.

However, the 6 foot 3 colossus has not stood out for Leeds, recording an average Sofascore match rating of just 6.72, ranking him as just the sixth-best performing defender in the squad, below the likes of Maximilian Wober and Rasmus Kristiansen.

As such, the eight-time Germany international may not be the huge upgrade that Spurs need in defence, and so he could only be targeted as a rotation option, rather than as the club’s main target to strengthen the centre-back area.

The limelight of Liverpool's transfer activity for what seems like an age has been the pursuit of coveted Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, but manager Jurgen Klopp might have distinguished the perfect alternative.

What's the latest on Gabri Veiga to Liverpool?

According to ESPN, the talented ace has also attracted the attention of Manchester United, Newcastle United, AC Milan and Napoli, following January interest from the likes of Bournemouth and Leeds United.

The 20-year-old is believed to have a €40m (£35m) release clause in his current deal, which could narrow the competition considerably.

With Real Madrid also considered suitors for the precocious talent, it seems unlikely that Los Celestes will succeed in their attempts to tie him down to a new long-term deal, with his current contract expiring in 2026.

Could Liverpool forget Bellingham with Veiga swoop?

Last year, Veiga tantalised glimpses of future prowess with his performances for Celta Vigo B, playing in the Spanish third division, where he scored nine goals and registered an assist from 31 matches.

Playing seven times in La Liga that term, each outing a cameo from the bench, Veiga looked to be asserting himself as a glistening prospect at the maiden phase of his career, and provided the platform to impress this season, he has taken his opportunity to resounding success.

Having scored eight goals and supplied three assists from 17 starts in the top-flight, Veiga is indeed now one of the most coveted starlets in the country, hailed as a "joy of a player" by Alberto Casas.

Speaking to The Guardian, Celta teammate and former Liverpool player Iago Aspas also waxed lyrical, saying: “He has desire, enthusiasm, quality. He’s comfortable here and hope he stays for a long time. If he has to go, let it be leaving behind many millions.”

As per FBref, Veiga ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's elite five divisions for goals, 16% for assists, 2% for successful take-ons and 7% for progressive carries per 90, illustrating the impact he could have on Klopp's system.

With a successful bid for his name, the Merseyside outfit could boast a player in the mould of Bellingham, who has been touted at as much as £129m by the Yellow Wall.

With the former Birmingham City prodigy among the superlative midfielders in world football right now, scoring ten goals and serving six assists this season from his engine-room deployment and ranking among the top 9% of midfielders across Europe's elite five divisions for goals, the top 13% for assists, the top 11% for progressive carries and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, he is discernibly prolific as a robust and all-encompassing phenom.

And with striking similarities between the respective players, Liverpool might be inclined to move for the shrewder avenue and tie up a deal for Vigo's most coveted asset, one who holds all the promise of a future machine flourishing at the very highest level and for a far cheaper price.

For the Indians who’ve signed up with the ICL, the league is a welcome change from the apathy they’ve had from the BCCI all these years. By Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan30-Nov-2007

Kiran Powar: ‘Tell me one reason why I shouldn’t join the ICL’ © ICL
About 15 years ago Kiran Powar was a bigger name in Mumbai cricket than his brotherRamesh. A left-hand batsman with a wide array of strokes, Kiran struggled to breakinto a powerful Mumbai batting order and switched allegiance to other states. Hespent a number of seasons in Assam and Goa, during which time he made many long journeys by bus, and often, considering hotels were too much of a luxury, even spent nights in one. Frequently, with reimbursement hard to come by, he paid his own travel expenses. He even wasn’t compensated when he was hospitalised once.Today Powar enjoys the comfort of the Taj hotel in Chandigarh. He shares the same dressing room as Brian Lara and Nathan Astle. When I speak to him, he’s having lunch with Vikram Solanki, Johan van der Wath and Danny Redrup, a South African physio who is “showing me the sort of fitness a cricketer needs”. For the first time in Powar’s life he has a sense of security. “Tell me one reason why I shouldn’t join the ICL” he challenges.Powar’s isn’t an isolated case. The general mood among the Indian domestic playerswho have joined the ICL is one of disgruntlement. “Until today none of us had anoption,” says a player who was picked for India a couple of years ago. “Now we havesomeone to take care of us. Wait for some time and players will just rush in.”The BCCI’s apathy is a sore point. A domestic veteran talks about a prominent state association. “They made a big din about introducing central contracts for players,” he says. “Finally, we said, we’ve got some security. And they give us an annual contract of Rs 25,000 [US$ 500 approximately]. Is that any sort of money for a year?”Even more frustrating has been the handling of injuries. Shalabh Srivatsava, an Under-19 star who went on to do well consistently for Uttar Pradesh, travelled to South Africa for an expensive surgery. He is still waiting to be reimbursed. Rakesh Patel, the Baroda fast bowler who was selected for the Indian one-day side recently, underwent a similar fate. “The biggest problem is we can’t play when we’re injured,” says Powar. “It means no reimbursement and no match fees. How do you survive?”Redrup chips in: “This is exactly how rugby used to be conducted in South Africaduring the amateur days. But things changed with professionalism.”The situation with the coaching staff who have signed up with the ICL isn’t too different. Erapalli Prasanna, the former India offspinner, who was with the BCCI’s ill-fated spin wing had had enough of being ignored. “By sending me to Nagpur and to Kolkata for short periods, the NCA [National Cricket Academy] sent a clear message that I was not required. The other signal I got was that the BCCI wanted to get rid of me. The spin wing is finished.”Sandeep Patil, who is currently coaching the Mumbai Champs, echoes those views. “”I waited for the BCCI to give me a suitable job to serve Indian cricket. Twice I had written to the BCCI president, Sharad Pawar, expressing my interest to be a coach of the India Aside. I was assured a two-year contract, but after waiting for almost one and a halfyears, nothing came of it.”Hurdles, hurdles, hurdles
It’s not been easy for these players and coaches who have signed with the ICL. They are derisively referred to as “money whores”.Reetinder Singh Sodhi, the former India allrounder, speaks about being refusedentry into a ground in Patiala. “Imagine the scene,” he says. “You’ve gone to aground to practise almost every day of your life. And one day they stop you. As ifI’m a criminal or something. I’m still playing cricket only, no?”Bengal’s players faced a similar situation at the Calcutta Cricket and FootballClub, though the Essel Group, which runs the ICL, had a corporate membership at the club. JP Yadav and Mohnish Mishra, two Madhya Pradesh players, were forced to withdraw from a club tournament in Bhopal for a similar reason.Three Hyderabad players with jobs in state banks were apparently transferred toKolkata recently. They’ve to now choose between moving to a new city and losingtheir jobs.All ICL players have been banned from playing in corporate tournaments organised by the BCCI. Those who have jobs have had their terms of employment made more stringent. Madhya Pradesh batsman Abbas Ali, who works with Indian Oil, is required to work from 9am to 5pm every day and struggles to find time for practice.It is the youngsters who are hardest hit. “A young cricketer finds a job by telling his employees that he’s a cricketer,” says JP Yadav, the former India allrounder. “Now, since he can’t play corporate tournaments, how is a company going to give him a job? That’s a big worry.”Another implication is that cricketers may have to give up the option of playing leaguecricket in England – since that requires a minimum qualification of four first-classgames in a season.

Sandeep Patil waited in vain for a job as India A coach before signing with the ICL © ICL
Positives galore
Despite the ostracism the players remain upbeat. When JP Yadav walked into theTau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, his first reaction was simple: “It’s fine, . You’re talking to someone who’s played cricket all his life at the Karnail Singh Stadium.” That, incidentally, is the headquarters of the Indian Railways side, a first-class ground that’s universally regarded as India’s worst in terms of facilities.The players have been given 12 pairs each of coloured uniforms. They’ve been exposed to physios and trainers streets ahead of the ones they’ve been used to in Indian first-class cricket. They’ve received 25% of the yearly payment promised them (as the base price), and are happy to see sums being deposited every month in Axis Bank accounts that have been opened for them.Some foreign players have been impressed with the local talent and have spoken aboutrecommending them to counties and provinces. “Abhishek Jhunjunwala has beennoticed,” says a senior player with the Bengal Tigers. “He was even asked if he would want to qualify to play for England.”The ICL, for all the talk of being the poor cousin to the Indian board’s Indian Premier League, is still an option that a number of Indian domestic players are seriously considering. As recently as September, a couple of players on the fringes were apparently seriously contemplating joining. Both made their India debuts subsequently and shelved the plan.A number of other players, though, are still in the loop. “I’ve got a call from so many domestic cricketers asking, ‘What’s happening, are they recruiting?” says Yadav. “People are definitely interested. It’s just a matter of taking the leap.” Like several others, he is convinced that the next 15 days will only reinforce their faith.

Mohammad Mithun and Mosaddek Hossain hit centuries to help South Zone secure a draw against Central Zone, after they had conceded a 111-run first-innings lead in Rajshahi.After being sent in, South Zone collapsed to 191 all out in 49.5 overs, with only opener Fazle Mahmud (40) passing 30. Seamer Ebadot Hossain and left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain took four wickets each for Central Zone.Central Zone’s batsmen showed greater fight and posted 302, with opener Shadman Islam top-scoring with 93. Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, who had recently made a comeback to the national team, claimed 6 for 106 in 31 overs for South Zone.South Zone started shakily in their second innings, too, and were 84 for 3 in the 26th over. Mithun, however, revived the innings with a 193-run stand for the fourth wicket with Tushar Imran. Mithun hit 118 off 121 balls, including 16 fours and a six, while Tushar made 88 off 141 balls, with 10 fours and a six.Mosaddek then took charge of the innings, despite a shoulder injury. He added 53 for the seventh wicket with Ziaur Rahman before adding 121 runs for the eighth wicket with Nayeem Hasan, who chipped in with 43. Mosaddek stayed unbeaten on 102 off 107 balls.Central Zone were 158 for 5 when play was called off on the final day. Razzak took three wickets to stretch his match tally to nine.

Fabrizio Romano has shared what he's heard on star Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard and how they plan to tie him down with a new deal.

Which Arsenal players are leaving?

Following a major summer spending spree of around £200 million, Mikel Arteta and co now must decide who is free to leave as they attempt to balance the books.

There are many who could reportedly part ways with the north London club, including left-back Nuno Tavares, winger Nicolas Pepe, striker Folarin Balogun, defender Rob Holding and midfield ace Albert Sami Lokonga.

The focus for Arsenal is shipping these surplus-to-requirement players out the door if they're to make more signings before September 1, though an injury to summer signing Jurrien Timber means they could dip back into the market.

"It’s a huge blow, especially for him having just joined the club to have the injury that he has is a huge disappointment for him," Arteta said on Timber at his most recent press conference.

"It’s true that he was giving us very different things in terms of what we could do on both sides, but again, these things happen, and we have to be prepared for that.

"We are always open and we have to always be open to react if something happens, not only with an injury but with the market as well and that’s what we are doing."#

It appears a further overhaul could be on the cards at Arsenal going by Arteta's hint, but one player who is very unlikely to be going anywhere is Odegaard.

The Norway star, who was a key player during Arsenal's title challenge last season, could be about to receive a bumper new contract offer as Romano shares some news.

Taking to X, Romano says that fresh terms for Odegaard are "one of the priorities of the year" at Arsenal and initial talks are "set" to take place.

"Arsenal want to advance in talks to get new deal done for Martin Ødegaard in the next weeks," wrote Romano.

"AFC Initial discussions set to take place as extending Martin’s contract will be one of the priorities of the year."

The 24-year-old started 37 league matches as a mainstay under Arteta last season, bagging 15 goals and seven assists in the process.

What's been said about Martin Odegaard?

There is little question Odegaard is deserving of improved terms after a phenomenal 2022/2023 season, with Arteta heaping praise on the former Real Madrid player.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

"Those are the demands he puts on himself and the areas he had huge margins to improve. He is making huge steps in the right direction to become a game-winner," said Arteta on Odegaard's goal tally.

"Then you need really good team-mates around you, which he has, and that obviously helps as well.

"He needs to continue to develop those skills in the best way because the demands will keep increasing, and his role hopefully as well."

Erling Haaland sent a heartwarming message to former team-mate Jadon Sancho after the winger left Manchester United for Borussia Dortmund on loan.

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Sancho signs for DortmundEnds Man Utd nightmare at least until the summerHaaland shares a message for SanchoWHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho spent four successful years at Dortmund before moving to United in 2021 for a reported fee of £73 million ($93m). However, during his stay at Old Trafford, he failed to match expectations and has been in exile since August after a public spat with Erik ten Hag. The winger has switched back to his former employers with the hope of reviving his sinking career on a loan deal, reportedly worth €4m (£3.4m/$4.3m) with no buy-back option.

Haaland was excited to see his close friend embark on a fresh challenge in his former stomping ground and wrote "beautiful" in his Instagram story while quoting Dortmund's post.

@erling.haaland InstagramAdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The duo spent a year together at Signal Iduna Park where they forged a close friendship. They lifted the German Cup together in 2021 when Sancho scored 16 goals and laid on 20 assists. A week before, Haaland expressed his admiration for Sancho by labelling him as a 'proper baller' in his Instagram story with a picture of the German Cup in front of them.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite his previous achievements, Sancho struggled to replicate his Dortmund form in his two-and-a-half seasons at United, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists since his arrival. The off-the-field incidents also hampered his progress and his row with Ten Hag over a social media post was the final nail on the coffin.

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Sancho is geared up to prove his critics wrong by shining at Dortmund in his second coming. He might be handed an opportunity to feature when the Black and Yellows return to action on Saturday in the Bundesliga against Darmstadt.

Kostas Tsimikas has broken his collarbone after colliding with boss Jurgen Klopp in Saturday's game against Arsenal, the Liverpool boss confirmed.

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Tsimikas takes out Klopp and injures collarboneNudge from Saka sends defender into managerLiverpool's left-back woes continueWHAT HAPPENED?

Tsimikas and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka were chasing a loose ball when the Arsenal forward bumped the Greek defender off balance and into Klopp. Tsimikas was in visible discomfort and had to be withdrawn. It was revealed at half-time on that he had been taken to hospital and the manager has since confirmed the worst.

AdvertisementWHAT KLOPP SAID

Klopp told : "It was massively overshadowed by Kostas Tsimikas collarbone issue, definitely broken, so he is out for a long time. The other issues we will have to see. It is hard for us to swallow with the Robbo [Andy Robertson] situation."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The injury to Tsimikas adds yet another headache at full-back for Klopp, who is already missing his starting left-back, Andy Robertson, with a shoulder injury. Joe Gomez, who replaced Tsimikas, is not a natural left-back and won't be seen as a long term solution in that position.

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR TSIMIKAS?

The Greek full-back will be out for an extended period of time after suffering the latest injury in what will come as a huge blow to an already depleted Reds team.