Dennis Bergkamp's hamstring injury has ensured that he will miss Holland's opening match against Belgium on Saturday and almost certainly their second against North Korea on June 20th.
The Dutch team doctor, Frits Kessel, speaking from their camp, said: "The injury has been far worse than estimated in the beginning. We didn't want pressure to be put on him, although he does handle everything so well."
Bergkamp has now been out of action for six weeks, a fact which worries the Dutch coach Guus Hiddink.
"Repairing an injured player is one thing, getting him match-fit is another. I hope and pray he'll be able to guide us to the world title."
The Argentinian World Cup squad have been put into isolation by their coach Daniel Passarella following a positive test for a banned substance by an unnamed squad member.
Passarella, a stern disciplinarian, has closed the camp for two days in order to restore calm.
The team's doctor, Luis Seveso, has tried to quell the storm by claiming that the test could have been caused by his giving several players a "rapid cure" influenza medication banned during competition.
The South American's opponents on Thursday, Japan, made 10 substitutions at half-time and struggled to find their rhythm as they beat the French Second Division side Gueugnon 1-0 in their final warm-up match yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Japanese appeal to remove a Jamaican assistant referee from their following match against Croatia has been successful. Japan pointed out that Jamaica are also in Group H.
Ivan Zamorano, the Internazionale and Chilean international, has picked up a slight knee injury during a practice match, according to the team doctor Eugenio Val Decantos yesterday.
The striker, who partners the former Manchester United target Marcelo Salas up front, should be able to train again soon in time to be fit for Chile's opening match on June 11th against Italy.
FIFA has ensured that time added on for injuries and substitutions will be strictly regulated at the World Cup finals and communicated to players and spectators.
The referees are under strict instructions to add on 30 seconds at half-time or full-time for each substitution and a full minute or more for any injury which requires a player to leave the field.
A further innovation is that time-wasting will be penalised in units of 30 seconds at the referee's discretion.
The controversial Brazilian striker Edmundo has told furious team-mates that his quotes, when he claimed to be better than Bebeto, had been misunderstood after they criticised him in a team meeting at their Ozoir-La-Ferriere training camp.
The comment came after Bebeto had been chosen over Edmundo to start Wednesday's game against Scotland. After the players grilled Edmundo last Saturday he claimed that he did not mean that he should play, merely that he was ready to.
