Stepan Chaloupek
SLA
Center Back
Left Back
Controlled Center Back
Mar 8, 2003 (23)
Right
6'2"
150 lb
Facing three weeks out
Chaloupek (hamstring), who left the Czech Republic camp Sunday after picking up the injury against Spain, is expected to be sidelined for around three weeks, according to iSport.
Analysis: Chaloupek is expected to miss around three weeks with a torn hamstring sustained against Spain on Saturday, ruling him out of five fixtures, including the Champions League matches against Sabah and Fenerbahce. He has appeared in all nine of Slavia's league matches this season, scoring once and assisting once, and had started each of the five before the break. With Mikulas Konecny suspended and David Zima and Tomas Vlcek both uncertain, coach Jindrich Trpisovsky faces a genuine shortage at centre-back against Sabah.
Expected to play at World Cup
Chaloupek should be among his national team's primary defensive assets after receiving his first World Cup call-up following a solid club campaign.
Analysis: Chaloupek enters the World Cup as one of Czechia's emerging defensive talents after breaking into the senior national team rotation over the last year. The 23-year-old gained valuable experience with Slavia Prague in European competition, recording a goal over eight UEFA Champions League appearances (six starts) while displaying his aerial presence and ball-winning skill. His fantasy value is likely to come from defensive stats such as clearances, interceptions and recoveries rather than attacking production. However, his size and ability to join attacking set pieces could still give him occasional upside in the opposing box, a possibility that is reinforced by his production of seven goals and two assists over the latest Czech league season.
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