Filip Kostic underwent examinations yesterday, confirming the worst prognosis. The Serbian left-back was injured against England and will miss the rest of the Euros. “After an MRI on his left knee, a partial tear of the lateral collateral ligament was found,” the Serbian federation revealed in a statement.
The 31-year-old player had to be substituted at the 43rd minute after a collision with Jude Bellingham. The national team’s doctor revealed that the Juventus player will need at least two weeks of rest. Although surgery is not required, he will not be able to train and compete at the required level, announced Milan Vukovic, the Serbian team’s spokesperson. The defender will remain with the team and will attend tomorrow’s game against Slovenia before leaving the squad and returning home to recover.
Kostic is a significant loss for the Serbians, being one of the most experienced players – he has played in two World Cups and has 64 international caps – at a time when Dragan Stojkovic’s team needs to bounce back from the defeat in the opening match.