Bastian banned, Podolski injured

Midfielder to miss Austria game, ankle injury might sideline striker

By James Dall   Last updated: 13th June 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Bastian banned, Podolski injured

Schweinsteiger: Suspended

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Uefa has handed Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger a one-match ban following his sending off, while Lukas Podolski is struggling with injury ahead of the country's next Euro 2008 fixture.

Schweinsteiger was dismissed in the 2-1 loss to Croatia on Thursday after he retaliated to a late Jerko Leko challenge.

The Bayern Munich midfielder will now miss Germany's decisive Group B qualifier versus co-hosts Austria.

Germany coach Joachim Low said: "It's a great pity that Bastian will be missing.

"Fortunately, it's only for one match ... but he has done us a disservice by getting sent off. I told the players not to get provoked or to react violently."

Schweinsteiger told the German Football Association's official website: "The sending off was naturally very frustrating.

Podolski blow

"But after the kick from behind I felt a stabbing pain in my already painful ankle and I reacted badly."

There is further bad news for Low after he revealed that forward Podolski, who is currently joint-top scorer at this summer's finals with three goals, could miss Monday's game against Austria.

"Podolski has taken a knock on the ankle and could not train today," Low said at a news conference on Friday. "We'll have to wait and see. We may be forced to make changes."

Low's future

Meanwhile, German Football Federation boss Theo Zwanziger has moved to quell any doubts over Low's future after the shock defeat to Croatia.

"Joachim Low will be our coach until 2010 whatever happens here," Zwanziger told sid.

"We have no alternative to him. That is completely independent of whether we progress at the Euro or are knocked out in the group stage, which I don't believe will happen."