More injury worries for Germany

19:47 AEST Tue May 25 2010

Germany coach Joachim Loew is set to decide on Tuesday whether Stuttgart midfielder Christian Traesch will join fellow ankle injury-victim Michael Ballack in missing next month's World Cup.

The 22-year-old Traesch twisted his right ankle on Monday night just eight minutes into a Germany XI's 4-0 win over Italian third-division side FC Tyrol in a World Cup warm-up match at their north Italian training camp.

An MRI scan at a hospital in nearby Bolzano, north Italy, revealed Traesch has damaged ankle ligaments and can not train for the next 14 days with the World Cup set to begin on June 11.

Germany's first game is against the Socceroos on June 13 and Loew now has to decide whether to take the twice-capped Traesch to South Africa.

"It was a stupid situation, but it looks as though there is no tear in the ligaments," said Loew after Traesch tripped over on the pitch.

With Ballack also ruled out after suffering an ankle injury playing for Chelsea in England's FA Cup final 10 days ago, Traesch could be the second Germany midfielder ruled out of the World Cup in as many weeks.

Alongside Stuttgart team-mate Sami Khedira, Traesch had been an alternative Loew was considering to replace Ballack at the heart of Germany's midfield.

Loew must register his final 23-man World Cup squad with FIFA on June 1 and has yet to decide who will captain the side in Ballack's absence and whether Bayern Munich's Hans-Joerg Butt or Schalke's Manuel Neuer will start in goal.

Germany face Australia, Serbia and Ghana in Group D at the World Cup.

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1057703