Germany captain Michael Ballack has been ruled out of next month's World Cup because of an ankle injury.
The 33-year old Chelsea midfielder was injured during Saturday's FA Cup triumph over Portsmouth when he was hit hard by a Kevin-Prince Boateng challenge.
Although his ankle is not broken, there is significant ligament damage meaning Ballack will take no part in South Africa 2010 where Germany meet Australia, Ghana and Serbia in the group stage.
The Deutscher Fussball-Bund (DFB - Germany's football federation) confirmed their skipper will miss all of the World Cup finals.
"National team captain Michael Ballack is out of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This is the result of an MRI on Monday morning in Munich," read a statement.
"A tear of the medial collateral ligament of the right ankle was found. The right ankle is immobilised in a plaster. He will have to wear a special shoe for two weeks.
"After the diagnosis of national team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt today, a complete healing of the injury is expected. Ballack's return to training is possible at the earliest in eight weeks."
