Soccer / Football : World Cup 2010 : Qualifying Group Europe

Frantisek Straka's tenure as Czech Republic coach has been halted after just one game at the helm. Straka, who was appointed on a temporary basis only one month ago, won his only match in charge, claiming a 1-0 friendly success over Malta in June. He had been brought in to replace Petr Rada, who paid the price for poor results in World Cup qualifying. Federation chairman Ivan Hasek said he wants Slavia Prague coach Karel Jarolim to take over the national team.

Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of England's World Cup qualifier against Andorra on Wednesday. The Manchester United center-back missed the 4-0 win at Kazakhstan on Saturday with the same injury that disrupted his preparation for the UEFA Champions League final loss to Barcelona. Matthew Upson partnered captain John Terry in Almaty while Gary Cahill was initially called up as cover for Ferdinand. Gareth Barry is suspended for Wednesday's match at Wembley following his booking in Kazakhstan.

Austria's list of injured players grew to seven a day before the qualifying match against Serbia. Defender Sebastian Proedl was diagnosed with a stomach disease on Friday and did not travel with the team to Belgrade. Defenders Emanuel Pogatetz and Gyoergy Garics, midfielders Christian Fuchs, Christoph Leitgeb and Ekrem Dag, and foward Marko Arnautovic were already out injured.

Zenit St. Petersburg coach Dick Advocaat has agreed to take over as Belgium coach with the deal due to be finalised this week. The Dutchman should take over on January 1 when his contract with Russian club Zenit expires and will be given an initial two-year contract. The Belgian Football Association fired coach Rene Vandereycken this spring after losses in World Cup qualifiers left Belgium with little chance of making the tournament in South Africa next year.

Rio Ferdinand will miss Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan because of the calf injury that troubled him in the closing stages of the domestic season. With Phil Jagielka sidelined, Bolton's Gary Cahill was called up to the England squad for the first time as Ferdinand's replacement. England boss Fabio Capello is already without his first-choice goalkeeper, David James, for the trip to Kazakhstan and the meeting with Andorra at Wembley on June 10.

Josip Kuze has been named as the new coach of Albania, filling the post left vacant following Arie Haan's departure. The 56-year-old Croatian coach, whose most recent postings were in charge of the Rwandan national team and Japanese club side JEF United, has signed a one-year contract with the option of a further 12 months. Albania lie second-from-bottom in FIFA World Cup qualifying Group 1 with just three qualifiers left to play.

England will be without first choice goalkeeper David James for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Kazakhstan next month. The Portsmouth keeper is to have shoulder surgery this week so that he will be fit for the start of next season. With Manchester United's reserve keeper Ben Foster also unavailable after surgery on his thumb, England coach Fabio Capello could turn to West Ham United's Robert Green or former England first choice Paul Robinson.

Frantisek Straka has been selected as the Czech Republic's new coach, replacing Petr Rada, who was fired last month because of poor results in World Cup qualifying. The Czechs are fourth in their World Cup qualifying group with eight points from six games, five behind leaders Northern Ireland. The 50-year-old Straka, a former Czech international, had previously coached Sparta Prague, Ceske Budejovice, Teplice and Plzen, as well as Austrian club Tirol Innsbruck.