Germany captain Michael Ballack has been ruled out of the World Cup after injuring his ankle in Chelsea’s FA Cup final win over Portsmouth.
It was also a personal setback for 33-year-old Ballack, who was set to play at his third World Cup and is unlikely to get another chance to perform on the sport’s biggest stage.
Chelsea midfielder Ballack was injured in the first half of Saturday’s English FA Cup final against Portsmouth, limping off during the first-half of his team’s 1-0 win after a late tackle by Kevin-Prince Boateng.
