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Nedved returns to Czech Rep squad
 Nedved last played for his country in the Euro 2004 semifinal loss to Greece PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Pavel Nedved will return to help the injury-ravaged Czech Republic in this month's World Cup playoff against Norway after a 16-month absence. The Juventus midfielder is in the squad for the first time since retiring from international football after the Czechs lost 1-0 to eventual champions Greece in the Euro 2004 semifinals. "We have a strong team and with Nedved we are even stronger," said coach Karel Brueckner after naming his 23-man squad. The former European Footballer of the Year hurt his knee in that semifinal with Greece and said he no longer wanted to play for his country because of the toll it was taking on his body. But in recent weeks the 33-year-old let it be known he would consider a return to the squad for the playoff only after a rash of injuries hit the team. Brueckner has also called up Monaco midfielder Jaroslav Plasil, who is coming back from a foot injury. The Czechs will still be without strikers Jan Koller and Vratislav Lokvenc but Aston Villa's Milan Baros has recovered from an Achilles problem and may be paired with Galatasaray's Marek Heinz. Nedved's return also gives Brueckner the option of playing five midfielders, with Bordeaux's Vladimir Smicer assuming an attacking role. "I welcome the fact that the team once again can show its quality and that it (Nedved's return) widens the potential lineup of our midfield," Brueckner added. Some pundits believe that if the Czechs qualify for Germany 2006, Nedved will continue to turn out for his country since at 34 it would be his last chance to play at the World Cup. The Czechs begin the two-legged playoff in Oslo on November 12, before returning home for the second leg on November 16. The last time they were in a playoff for a World Cup spot, in 2001, they lost both legs 1-0 to Belgium and missed the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan. Squad: Goalkeepers: Jaromir Blazek (Sparta Prague), Petr Cech (Chelsea), Antonin Kinsky (Saturn Ramenskoye) Defenders: Zdenek Grygera (Ajax), Marek Jankulovski (AC Milan), Martin Jiranek, Radoslav Kovac (both Spartak Moscow), Pavel Mares (Zenit St Petersburg), David Rozehnal (Paris St Germain), Tomas Ujfalusi (Fiorentina) Midfielders: Tomas Galasek (Ajax), David Jarolim (Hamburg), Jiri Jarosik (Birmingham), Pavel Nedved (Juventus), Jaroslav Plasil (Monaco), Karel Poborsky (Ceske Budejovice), Jan Polak (Nuremberg), Tomas Rosicky (Borussia Dortmund), Vladimir Smicer (Bordeaux) Forwards: Milan Baros (Aston Villa), Marek Heinz (Galatasaray), Tomas Jun (Trabzonspor), Jiri Stajner (Hanover). 
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