By Durosimi Thomas BBC Sport, Tunis

Trabelsi is a key player for Tunisia

Tunisian coach Roger Lemerre is confident that key defender Hatem Trabelsi will recover from injury in time for next year's Nations Cup finals.

Trabelsi, who plays for Dutch giants Ajax, was ruled out for six weeks late last month after tearing knee ligaments during a Uefa Champions League game against Celta Vigo.

But Lemerre told BBC Sport website that Trabelsi's importance to his team was such that they would spare no effort to get him fit for the Tunisia 2004.

He said: �We've learnt from Ajax that Trabelsi will regain full fitness before the start of the Nations Cup.

Ajax officials have been very honest in the reports they've sent us and we just hope that he'll recover as expected.

�He remains a vital part of our plans and nobody will be happy to see him miss the Nations Cup.

Trabelsi injured his right ankle in another Champions League tie in August and missed some of Tunisia's friendlies.