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Germany - Germany captain Michael Ballack will not play again this year after an injury suffered last month has proved to be more serious than initially thought.
His club, Bayer Leverkusen, said on Wednesday a new examination showed that Leverkusen would need more time to recover from a hairline shinbone fracture and ligament damage.
The 34-midfielder will wear a splint for the next four to six weeks to help protect the left knee.
Ballack was injured just below the knee in a tackle in a Bundesliga match against Hanover on September 11, but was hoping to return towards the end of October.
"This is a very regrettable development," Leverkusen coach Jupp Heynckes said.
Ballack was sidelined for the World Cup with an ankle injury sustained playing for Chelsea in the FA Cup final in May and has not appeared for Germany since.
After joining his former club Leverkusen in the summer, he was only just returning to full fitness when he suffered the latest injury setback.
