Ballack blow for Leverkusen

Germany captain Michael Ballack will not play again in 2010 after the shin injury he picked up on September 11 emerged to be worse than first thought.

Ballack has been walking with the aid of crutches since picking up the injury in Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga match against Hannover – only his third game back following the ankle problem which ruled him out of the World Cup.