Holland have ruled Milwaukee Bucks big man Dan Gadzuric out of their summer plans because of a knee injury.

The Dutch already had a mountain to climb with European Championship qualifying games against Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Estonia.

Now they have to do so without arguably their most important player in the 2.10m center Gadzuric, who averaged 5.7 points and 4.6 rebounds a game in the NBA last season while coming off the bench.

Dutch team manager Jan Johnsen told PA International: "Gadzuric has pulled out because of a knee injury. He will be doing rehabilitation with the Bucks from now until the start of the NBA season."

The 26-year-old Gadzuric hurt his knee earlier this year in January and then reinjured it this summer while playing in the US.

Coach Glenn Pinas will, however, have center Francisco Elson for the games, with the Denver Nuggets center expected to join up with the national side on August 16.

American point guard Chris McGuthrie, 30, who played college basketball at St Mary's and has a Dutch passport after several seasons in the Holland top flight, is to join up with the team in the coming days.

Pinas started his team's preparations on Monday with 12 players.