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Germany captain Michael Ballack will miss Friday's World Cup opening match against Costa Rica because of a calf injury, coach Juergen Klinsmann told a news conference on Thursday.
"We'll leave him on the sidelines for this game and have him fit for the next one," Klinsmann said.
Ballack's participation had been in doubt after failing to come through a training session on Wednesday.
Either Werder Bremen midfielder Tim Borowski or Borussia Dortmund's Sebastian Kehl are expected to step in for Ballack against Costa Rica for the Group A match in Berlin.
"We have different options with Borowski and Kehl. It is not a problem. We have 23 players in the squad and when one drops out there is a suitable replacement to step in," Klinsmann added.
"The most important thing is to look in advance. Michael needs to be fit for the rest of this tournament."
Later, Ballack reacted to media reports in Germany that he had failed to get the injury treated promptly after it reared its head in the 3-0 friendly win over Colombia last Friday.