By DPA
Stuttgart : Germany captain Michael Ballack is unlikely to play in the Aug 22 friendly with England at Wembley due to an ankle injury, coach Joachim Loew said.
“He will probably not play. We would like to have him there but we would only field him if he is 100 percent fit,” Loew told Germany’s ARD television Friday night.
The Chelsea midfielder Ballack has been sidelined since early May due to the injury and has required surgery twice.
Loew said that Germany would also be without midfielder Torsten Frings and striker Lukas Podolski, who are also injured, at Wembley.
The Aug 22 friendly serves as a test for both teams ahead of a busy autumn schedule, featuring the final qualifiers for each side for the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland.