ARGENTINA striker Carlos Tevez will miss tomorrow's World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in Asuncion due to a knee injury, the Argentine Football Association said.

ARGENTINA striker Carlos Tevez will miss tomorrow's World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in Asuncion due to a knee injury, the Argentine Football Association said.

The Manchester City player suffered a twisted right knee during Argentina's 3-1 home defeat by Brazil in Rosario on Saturday, the AFA said.

Argentina need a win to avoid possibly slipping out of the top four places in the South America group that offer automatic berths at the 2010 finals in South Africa. The fifth-placed side goes into a two-leg playoff with a Concacaf team.

Meanwhile world champions Italy need to do more than recruit Brazil-born striker Amauri to arrest their slide in form, Alberto Gilardino said yesterday. The Group Eight leaders host Bulgaria tomorrow where a win would put them four points clear of Ireland and on the brink of World Cup qualification. - Reuters