Hamann blow for City

German facing three months out

Last updated: 16th January 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Hamann blow for City

Hamann: Toe problem

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Manchester City midfielder Dietmar Hamann faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a toe injury.

The 35-year-old ruptured a ligament in his toe in training on Monday and he is set to be out of action for up to three months.

The former Liverpool and Newcastle man has flown to Switzerland to see a specialist on the injury and City boss Mark Hughes admitted it was a big blow to lose the midfielder.

"Didi kicked a ball in training yesterday with the end of a toe, and unfortunately it looks like he may have ruptured a tendon," Hughes told the club's official website.

"He will go over to Zurich today to see a surgeon that he has seen with a similar injury before. The feeling is that it is the same thing that has happened before.

"The best case scenario is that it will be nine weeks, but it could be 12. Obviously it is a blow for Didi, we are a bit light in midfield areas so we could have done without this. Until the surgeon looks at him we can't say whether we may have better news on it."

The injury also casts doubt over Hamann's future at Eastlands with the player out of contract in the summer.