JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Dutch winger Arjen Robben became the latest player to suffer an injury ahead of the June 11-July 11 World Cup in South Africa. Here are some of the other players who have been ruled out or are unlikely to feature because of injuries: OUT MICHAEL BALLACK, Germany The German captain was ruled out of the finals with an ankle injury after a late challenge by Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng during Chelsea's FA Cup final win over Portsmouth in May. RIO FERDINAND, England The England captain will miss the finals after injuring his knee in his country's first major training session in South Africa on Friday. MICHAEL ESSIEN, Ghana The Ghana midfielder suffered a knee injury at the African Nations Cup in January and has failed to recover in time. JOHN OBI MIKEL, Nigeria The midfielder was forced out of the tournament with a badly bruised ankle suffered in Nigeria's first full contact training session in South Africa on Friday. LASSANA DIARRA, France The holding midfielder will not play in South Africa after being told he needed an extended rest because of persistent stomach pains which began during France's week-long training camp in the French Alps last month. DAVID BECKHAM, England England's most capped outfield player ruptured his Achilles tendon playing for his loan club AC Milan in March. RENE ADLER, Germany Germany's first-choice goalkeeper underwent surgery on a rib injury in May and will play no part in the finals. SIMON ROLFES, Germany The midfielder ruled himself out of the World Cup after saying he was short of match fitness following knee surgery in January. CHRISTIAN TRAESCH, Germany The midfielder, who was considered a possible replacement for captain Michael Ballack, is out after injuring his ankle in a friendly at the squad's training camp in Italy. HEIKO WESTERMANN, Germany The defender will miss the tournament after fracturing a bone in his foot during a warm-up win over Hungary last week. MIROSLAV KARHAN, Slovakia Slovakia's most capped player has a hamstring injury and will miss his country's first World Cup appearance. - - - - DOUBTFUL DIDIER DROGBA, Ivory Coast The Ivory Coast's fearsome striker underwent successful surgery on an injured elbow on Saturday but remains a doubt for the finals. Drogba picked up the injury in a World Cup warm-up against Japan on Friday. ARJEN ROBBEN, Netherlands The Dutch winger needs a scan to determine the extent of a hamstring injury he suffered in a 6-1 friendly thrashing of Hungary on Saturday. ANDREA PIRLO, Italy The Italian midfielder will miss the defending champions' opening game of the tournament against Paraguay, and possibly the whole tournament, after injuring his calf in Thursday's 2-1 friendly defeat by Mexico. HARRY KEWELL, Australia The Australian winger has hardly played since December because of a troublesome groin injury. TIM BROWN, New Zealand It is unknown if the New Zealand vice-captain will recover in time from surgery on a fractured shoulder suffered in the friendly defeat to Australia last month. HUMBERTO SUAZO, Chile Chile's leading striker will reportedly miss their opening World Cup match against Honduras and possibly the second game with Switzerland because of a hamstring injury. LEE DONG-GUK, South Korea The South Korean striker was named in the final 23-man squad despite concerns over a thigh problem which is expected to keep him out of their opening game against Greece on June 12. (Compiled by Patrick Johnston; editing by Neil Maidment; To query or comment on this story email [email protected])
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