28 February 2007, by Marco Pereira

Academica’s Pavlovic ruled out for season

Coach Machado ponders future at Coimbra club

Academica midfielder Milos Pavlovic has undergone successful surgery to repair his right ankle. The player suffered the injury in the game against Boavista on Saturday and was immediately diagnosed as requiring an operation.

The Serbian is out for the rest of the season as it will take 8-12 weeks to recover from surgery. Pavlovic becomes Academica’s second player this season to miss the remainder of the season after Helder Barbosa suffered the same fate in November with a torn tendon in his left leg.

Meanwhile, Academica coach, Manuel Machado, has revealed that he has received offers from other teams as he mulls over whether to sign an extension to his contract at the Coimbra club.

The coach’s contract expires this summer and he has yet put pen to paper on a new deal. Machado admitted that two clubs are seeking his services, one of which is foreign.

“I have been approached, informally, about embracing a new project for the year coming. As well as the possibility of staying at Academica, it has been made public that a club the north are interested in my services. I also have a proposal from a club abroad.”

The team Machado referred to in the north is Vitoria Guimaraes – the best supported club outside the big three in Portugal. Machado enjoyed a successful season at Guimaraes in 2004/05, guiding the team into Europe.

The coach has confessed that he will not consider any offers until the end of the championship.