Roma striker Totti to miss rest season matches due to injury

ROME, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Italian forward Francesco Totti will sit out AS Roma's rest four matches of the season after he suffered a knee ligament injury in Saturday's Serie A league game.

The 31-year-old world cup winning striker was substituted after half an hour having tried for several minutes to shake off a knock in the 1-1 home draw with Livorno this weekend.

According to the club doctor of Roma, Totti, who has been hit by a series of niggles this term, may need an operation.

"We must see if there is a partial or total lesion to the cruciate ligament, only then will we be able to decide if we operate on Totti or not," said Roma doctor Mario Brozzi.

Montenegro's Mirko Vucinic, who scored on Saturday, is reckoned the favorite to fill in for Totti in coach Luciano Spalletti's squad.

Second-placed Roma are three points behind champions Inter Milan in the race for the Serie A title, and also in the semi-finals of the Italian Cup.