Germany captain Michael Ballack is not expected to play football again in 2010 after it was revealed on Wednesday his knee injury is worse than first thought.
The 34-year-old fractured the tibia just below his left knee in a Bundesliga match against Hanover last month, but a further examination has revealed more bad news.
The defensive midfielder now needs to wear a protective cast for the next four to six weeks to allow the injury to heal.
The injury is more serious than thought and as a result Michael will be unavailable until the end of the year, said his club Bayer Leverkusen in a statement.
Ballack picked up the injury on only his third game back after damaging ligaments in his right ankle last May which kept him out of the World Cup finals.
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