Germany Suffers Double Blow in World Cup Preparations

Germany 's World Cup preparations suffered a double blow on Tuesday when first-choice goalkeeper Rene Adler and midfielder Simon Rolfes were ruled out of the tournament through injury.

Photo: Germany Suffers Double Blow in World Cup Preparations

The 25-year-old Adler will undergo rib surgery and Rolfes, his Bayer Leverkusen team mate, has failed to recover from a knee injury which has kept him out of action for three months. Adler became Germany's first-choice keeper after Robert Enke committed suicide last year and he has won nine caps, Reuters reports.

Coach Joachim Loew will announce a preliminary 30-man squad on Thursday, and if he opts for a third goalkeeper, Bayern Munich veteran Hans-Joerg Butt could be in line for a surprise recall, nearly seven years after winning the last of his three caps.

The absence of Rolfes was more widely anticipated, as he had not played since undergoing knee cartilage surgery in January, BBC Sport informs.