Slipped disc sets back Bayern´s Podolski

AFP - 27 January 2008 16:29

Luckless Lukas Podolski, seen here training in late 2007, has suffered a further injury setback with a slipped disc and will be missing when Bayern Munich resume their Bundesliga campaign on February 1.

MUNICH, Germany (AFP) - Luckless Lukas Podolski has suffered a further injury setback with a slipped disc and will be missing when Bayern Munich resume their Bundesliga campaign on Friday.

After last summer's knee injury, the 22-year-old, voted the best young player at the 2006 World Cup, struggled to break into the Bayern first team with first-choice strikers Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni blocking his path.

Podolski has had just two Bundesliga starts this season and with just five months to this June's Euro 2008 tournament, the timing of his back injury could not be worse.

Bayern's coach Ottmar Hitzfeld confirmed the news to German sports agency SID on Sunday with the Bundesliga leaders back in action on Friday night when they are at Hansa Rostock.

More will be known when Podolski has a thorough medical examination on Monday and it is unclear how long he will be out for, but the striker will definitely be absent from Tuesday night's German Cup match against third division Wuppentaler.

Hitzfeld will also be without midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who has a bruised thigh, and Andreas Ottl, muscle strain.

But the news of Podolski's injury is not good for Germany's coach Joachim Loew with key midfielder Torsten Frings also struggling to be fit after aggrevating an old knee injury.

Germany face Austria in a friendly international in Vienna on February 6.