Karimov out until Congo DR group stage meeting

Uzbekistan right-back Karimov will miss his team's first two World Cup group matches and is only expected to be fit for matchday three, which happens to be against Congo DR (1). That is potentially useful news for your side, picking up an opponent whose defensive options are already stretched by injury. Nothing is guaranteed, and Karimov's recovery timeline could still shift before the teams meet later in Group K, but for now the path looks slightly clearer.