Ivanschitz to miss new season’s start
Panathinaikos’s Austrian international Andreas Ivanschitz will miss the beginning of the upcoming season as a result of a knee injury suffered during a friendly game against FC Lausanne earlier this week, the Athens soccer club has reported. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder, who was forced to leave the pitch on the halfhour mark in Panathinaikos’s 2-0 win over FC Lausanne, will remain out of action for two months after rupturing ligaments in his right knee. The 29-time Austrian international and captain of the national team, who joined Panathinaikos last season from Salzburg to quickly establish himself as a key member of the Athens club, will consequently miss the Greek season’s opener later this month against archrival and defending champion Olympiakos. Panathinaikos will also have to do without Ivanschitz for early UEFA Cup play. Coach Jose Peseiro will be forced to try other options for his left flank of the midfield. At this stage, Sotiris Leontiou, whose pre-season form has been solid, rates as the likeliest choice. In other developments at Panathinaikos, Nigerian central defender Joseph Enakarhire signed a one-year deal yesterday, the Greek club announced. Enakarhire, who made his debut with Nigeria in 2002 and represented his country at the 2004 African Nations Cup, spent last season with French club Bordeaux, on loan from Dynamo Moscow.
