From PA International, Ljubljana

Slovenia national team coach Slobodan Subotic has been hit by the news that Skipper Bologna star Matjaz Smodis will be sidelined with an injury for at least two weeks.

Subotic, preparing his squad for the forthcoming Men's European Championships in Sweden, has resisted the temptation to call up a replacement for Smodis in the hope that the player will recover in time for the start of the tournament.

Smodis, a 6ft 7in (2.05metre) forward, is an excellent perimeter shooter. He buried nearly 50% (26-of-53) of his attempts from behind the three-point arc last season.

Smodis is a player who has been distracted by club matters in recent days. He was preparing for his fourth year in the Italian top flight but only knew where he would be playing this season on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old played for Virtus Bologna the past three seasons but joined Skipper when Virtus were thrown out of the league over the Sani Becirovic affair.

Becirovic had two knee surgeries last year and was released by Virtus but the Slovenian guard argued that he was still owed money by the club.

Italian basketball's governing body ordered Virtus to settle the debt and when they failed to do so, one of the most famous basketball outfits in the world had its licence revoked.

"I am very happy because I am staying in Bologna," Smodis said.

"Fortitudo seems a stable club, the presence of (coach Jasmin) Repesa and (Milos) Vujanic seems important. We can do well."

Vujanic is the promising 22-year-old from Serbia & Montenegro was brought to the club this summer by countryman and Skipper general manager Zoran Savic. There is no better basketball rivalry in professional basketball than the one in Bologna, many of the world's basketball experts would agree.

Smodis concedes that taking off the black and white colours of Virtus is a painful exercise.

"There was also Virtus and I waited until the end," he said. "I am very sorry at how it finished. Virtus was important. The rivalry was so important to give lustre and verve to the city.

"I am sorry at this moment to see Virtus reduced to these conditions. I hope they bounce back."