By IRNA,
Berlin : German national team goalkeeper Rene Adler will have to undergo a rib injury and will miss the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, news reports said Tuesday.
“This was the hardest decision in my life,” said Adler who picked up the rib injury on April 17 while playing for his club Bayer Leverkusen against
Bundesliga rivals VfB Stuttgart.
But it would have been “irresponsible on my part” towards the national team and my club to take part in the World Cup, he added.
The 25-year-old Adler was recently nominated by coach Joachim Loew as the squad’s starting goalie ahead of Schalke’s Manuel Neuer and Werder Bremen’s
Tim Wiese.
Triple World Cup winners Germany start their World Cup preparations on May 12 and will travel to South Africa on June 6.
They have been drawn against Australia, Serbia and Ghana in Group D.