Colombia blow as defender Fabra limps out of SWC

Bogota -Colombia defender Frank Fabra has been ruled out of a maiden Soccer World Cup with a serious knee injury hours before the South Americans were scheduled to travel to their team base in Kazan, the Colombian football federation said on Saturday.

The Boca Juniors left-back suffered a "ruptured anterior cruciate ligament" in his left knee during a training session in Italy, the federation said in a statement.

"I fought, I worked hard and tried to get better... but now my heart is broken into a million little pieces," Fabra lamented in a message on his Instagram account.

According to medical experts, Fabra's recovery will take between four and six months.

Fabra will be replaced in Jose Pekerman's squad "in the coming hours" by one of Colombia's reserve players - most likely to be left-sided defender Farid Diaz, who plays for Olimpia in Paraguay.

Colombia will start their Group H campaign against Japan on June 19 in Saransk before then facing Poland and Senegal.