MUNICH, June 21 - Serbia & Montenegro defender Mladen Krstajic broke his left arm in the 3-2 defeat by Ivory Coast on Wednesday.

Krstajic sustained his injury in a collision as he went in for a sliding tackle in the 15th minute of the World Cup Group C match.

"He will be operated on," coach Ilija Petkovic told a news conference. "It's extremely difficult to see one of my players hurt so badly."

Serbia's third successive defeat meant they finished bottom of the group. Argentina and Netherlands were first and second.