Vcoderz Community - Stars who will probably miss the World Cup with injury

Who will miss the greatest show on earth?

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup drawing closer, the 32 participating nations are stepping up the pace in their preparations ahead of the final. As the intensity mounts, the players are starting to feel the heat and injuries are creeping in.

Let's take a look at those major World Cup stars who are either going to miss out on the tournament entirely, or run the risk of doing so due to late injuries...

Michael Ballack
Germany

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Age: 33
Position: Central midfielder
Club: Chelsea

Injury: Damaged ligaments to his right ankle during Chelsea's FA Cup final win over Portsmouth in mid-May.

Prognosis: Ballack will miss the entire World Cup as he recovers from this injury.

Didier Drogba
Ivory Coast

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Age: 32
Position: Striker
Club: Chelsea

Injury: Fractured his right elbow during Ivory Coast's friendly win over Japan.

Prognosis: Latest reports claim he will miss the entire of the World Cup, although the Ivorian is hoping surgery will have him back in time for the latter group games.

Rio Ferdinand
England

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Age: 32
Position: Centre-back
Club: Manchester United

Injury: Picked up a knock on his knee after a tussle with Emile Heskey during training.

Prognosis: Initial reports indicated ligament damage. These were later confirmed and Rio, on crutches, is out of the World Cup.

Michael Essien
Ghana

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Age: 27
Position: Central midfielder
Club: Chelsea

Injury: Recurring problem with left knee ligaments sustained while on international duty with Ghana on January 2010.

Prognosis: Essien will miss the entire World Cup as he continues to recover from this injury.

Oscar Cardozo
Paraguay

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Age: 27
Position: Striker
Club: Benfica

Injury: Struggling to reach full fitness after playing with an ankle injury for the last four games of the Portuguese league campaign.

Prognosis: Still unknown whether he will be fully fit for the World Cup but his agent has indicated that it's unlikely he will be.

Diego Milito
Argentina

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Age: 30
Position: Striker
Club: Inter

Injury: Light ankle sprain during training.

Prognosis: No time has been set as to when he will be able to return to training, but 'El Principe' is expected to recover quickly as it was only a minor injury.

Julio Cesar
Brazil

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Age: 30
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Inter

Injury: Limped out of the friendly win over Zimbabwe with a back problem.

Prognosis: Currently undergoing physiotherapy. Expected back in three to four days, but full fitness yet to be determined.

Mauro Camoranesi
Italy

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Age: 33
Position: Midfielder
Club: Juventus

Injury: Sprained meniscus in his right knee which he sustained during training.

Prognosis: Has been included in final squad but a late fitness test will determine his availability.

Humberto Suazo
Chile

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Age: 29
Position: Striker
Club: Monterrey

Injury: Tore his hamstring during friendly encounter against Israel.

Prognosis: 'Chupete' is expected to miss the World Cup. He is currently taking medication that may be deemed illegal and could be banned from the tournament.

Heiko Westermann
Germany

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Age: 26
Position: Defender/Midfielder
Club: Schalke

Injury: Recurring knee problem after undergoing surgery in January.

Prognosis: Westermann will miss the entire World Cup as he recovers from this injury.

Andrea Pirlo
Italy

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Age: 31
Position: Midfielder
Club: AC Milan

Injury: Calf problem sustained during preparations for this summer's tournament.

Prognosis: The deep-lying playmaker has flown back to Milan for assessment, but there are fears he will miss the entire tournament.