Ballack out of World Cup

Germany captain Michael Ballack has been ruled out of the World Cup finals with an ankle injury, the German Football Federation have confirmed.

The 33-year-old Chelsea midfielder underwent an MRI in Munich on Monday morning to assess the damage suffered in Saturday's FA Cup final - following a heavy challenge from Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince Boateng - and the scan showed ligament damage to his right ankle.

"National team captain Michael Ballack is out of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This is the result of an MRI on Monday morning in Munich," read a statement from the DFB.