Germany’s captain, Michael Ballack, missed another practice and fans are wondering what happens. It seems, though, there not some real problems.

Germany captain Michael Ballack missed training again on Tuesday due to his troublesome calf, sparking fears that he may lose his fitness race for Friday’s FIFA World Cup™ opener against Costa Rica in Munich.

The 29-year-old Ballack picked up the injury in last Friday’s 3-0 friendly win over Colombia and can still not put any pressure on his calf.

“Michael is making progress but his calf can still not take a lot of pressure,” Germany doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt said in a statement.

Ballack insists he will be ready for the first match, saying the injury is not that serious.

“I expect to play on Friday. I could not train due to a calf problem but it is not serious,” Ballack said Tuesday at a press conference. “I still have a few days.”

Source: WCoffsite