Shevchenko Injured; Kehl is Cool

Remember last week when we asked which player your team could least afford to lose to injury for the World Cup? If you are a Ukraine fan, the answer would surely be Andriy Shevchenko. That is why there are some nervous people in Ukraine today after the AC Milan striker suffered minor knee ligament damage during a match on Sunday. He will be out of action for 25 days, raising some questions as to how fit he will be for Ukraine’s opening match against Spain on June 14.

We’ve been saying all along that Ukraine is more than a one-man team, but clearly they won’t be the same if Shevchenko is not fit. There’s still time for him to recover and let’s hope he does because frankly Group H will need his firepower to hold our interest.

In better injury news, Germany’s Sebastian Kehl’s ankle injury is merely a strain and not a tear, greatly improving the likelihood he will be fit for the tournament. Great news for Germany and World Cup Willy fans everywhere.

And for those who are concerned about my health, the splinter has been removed from my finger and it is healing quite nicely. My sinuses are a little bit congested today, but I chalk it up more to spring allergies than anything that will impact my ability to blog for 22 hours a day in Germany.