Injured Ballack to miss warm-up against Luxembourg

GENEVA: Michael Ballack's minor ankle injury will keep him out of Germany's World Cup warm-up against Luxembourg tomorrow.

The German Football Association today said that Ballack had suffered nothing more serious than a strain yesterday's practice match at the hosts' training camp in Switzerland.

The playmaker will need three to four days before he can return to full training, however, and he will stay behind to work in the gym while Germany play Luxembourg in Freiburg.

World Cup hosts Germany play the opening match of the tournament against Costa Rica in Munich on June 9.

REUTERS