Czechs recall Nedved for World Cup playoff

Pavel Nedved will return to help the Czech Republic in this month's World Cup playoff against Norway after a 16-month absence, coach Karel Brueckner said on Thursday. The Juventus midfielder is in the squad for the first time since retiring from international football after the Czechs lost to eventual champions Greece in the Euro 2004 semi-finals. The former European Footballer of the Year hurt his knee in that semi-final with Greece and said he no longer wanted to play for his country because of the toll it was taking on his body. But in recent weeks the 33-year-old let it be known he would consider a return to the squad for the playoff.