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One of the leaders of the German national team, Michael Ballack, claims he can take to the field already in the first World Cup match against Costa Rica.
Earlier, the team's coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, stated that the new London club acquisition will definitely play despite suffering a calf injury during a friendly match against Colombia on June 2.
"I am fully prepared and really want to play, as there are no more problems," Ballack told the German press. "Whether I play or not, it will be decided by the national team coach."
Ballack returned to his first training session on Wednesday after the injury but soon had to interrupt it. Meanwhile, Klinsmann adheres to the policy of not allowing a player on the field who could not train at full strength for the last two days before the match.
"Ballack is our leader and captain, so we hope he will be able to play," Klinsmann said. "But it is just a shame, not a disaster, because we are in great shape even without him."
If the midfielder cannot play, he will likely be replaced by Tim Borowski or Sebastian Kehl.
