Injured Germany captain

                                                                                         

Captain Michael Ballack was a major injury doubt for host Germany ahead of Friday's World Cup opener against Costa Rica.

Michael Ballack was forced to take leave during the training on Wednesday; this one was closed to the public and media. It was the first time he had to cancel training since suffering a right calf strain in a 3-0 warm-up win over Colombia on June 2.

The 29-year-old midfielder is still laboring under a calf injury and will be receiving further intensive treatment, a spokesman for the German Football Federation (DFB) said.

With the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, Ballack cautioned in a newspaper interview earlier in the day against hoping too much from a German team he called inexperienced and mistake-prone.

The fitness of Ballack will go a long way towards determining the success of the team but the success of the month-long tournament will hinge in large part on how well German police deals with threats of violence.

About the author:
About the Author
Alfred Johnson provides all sports fans with the most recent a up to date news information in the sports world. Mr. Johnson has been an exceptional article writer for www.bookemdirect.com
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.


Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com