Germans stunned by Ballack World Cup KO

Germany boss Joachim Low today admitted he was “shocked” to learn captain Michael Ballack would miss the World Cup but urged his players to form a united front in South Africa in his absence.

National team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt delivered the news Low had been dreading this morning: his skipper and most influential player had suffered ankle ligament damage and faced up to eight weeks on the sidelines.