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Normally this season, the phrase "(insert Arsenal player here) to miss World Cup qualifiers due to injury" would be cause for some serious angst among Arsenal fans. Oh good, another injury, just what we need. But in this case, it's probably an OK thing - Tomas Rosicky has been advised by the Arsenal medical staff to skip the next two Czech qualifiers in order to more fully recuperate from his calf issue.
The Czech football coach, Vladimir Smicer, looked at the World Cup qualifying groups, realized that the Czechs really have no shot at qualifying, and made the smart decision to allow Rosicky to sit out the last two games. This will allow Rosicky to put up his feet, relax a bit, and get fully healthy for the resumption of league play on the 19th.
I have been very vocal about my dislike for international football, but this latest interlull comes at a perfect time for Arsenal - any chance for the Arsenal Walking Wounded to rest and recover is welcome. I'm also glad that Smicer made a realistic decision, one that not a lot of coaches would make - he prioritized a player's health over what is mostly a meaningless game, and he should be commended for that.