Germany captain Michael Ballack will not find out his World Cup fate until Monday because heavy swelling on his injured right ankle has delayed an MRI scan by 24 hours.
The 33-year-old Chelsea midfielder limped out of Saturday’s FA Cup final win over Portsmouth after a heavy tackle, but an X-ray at the Wembley Stadium revealed that no bones were broken.
With Germany set to face Australia in their opening World Cup game on June 13, Ballack was due to undergo a scan on Sunday, but heavy swelling has delayed the examination, the German Football Federation said.
Once he knows the extent of his injury Ballack will phone Germany coach Joachim Loew at the pre-World Cup training camp in Sicily on Monday and a decision will be taken on Ballack’s treatment.
The midfielder will either fly to Sicily or straight to Munich to be treated by the national team’s doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt.
“Until I know the results of the MRI scan, I am naturally concerned,” said Ballack on Saturday after the FA Cup final.
With 98 caps and 42 goals to his name, Ballack will lead Germany’s bid to win the World Cup for a fourth time and is crucial to Loew’s plans.
“We had information from his adviser that he was X-rayed and nothing is broken,” said Loew.
“But Michael wants to have the MRI scan to make sure the ligaments are all okay.”