Germany career will continue - Michael Ballack

Germany captain Michael Ballack insists he will play international football again despite being forced to miss the World Cup with an ankle injury.

The Chelsea midfielder was injured in the FA Cup final in a tackle from Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has apologised for the incident.

"I won't let my international career come to an end because of a foul like this," the 33-year-old Ballack said.

"I will consider things in calm over the next few weeks."

Ballack, who has made 98 appearances for his country and played in the last two World Cups, has to overcome two damaged ligaments and is expected to resume training in eight weeks.

With Germany's first match on 13 June, the Chelsea star now has to come to terms with watching the World Cup finals from the sidelines.

"I gave everything for the goal of South Africa and now the World Cup has been taken away from me in a brutal way," added Ballack.

"It is bitter to be hacked down in such a way in the last game of the season. It hurts."

Ballack limped out of the FA Cup final on Saturday - a game that Chelsea won 1-0 - after 25 minutes following the rash challenge by Boateng, who was born in Berlin to a Ghanaian father and a German mother.

The Pompey midfielder, who could be in the Ghana side to face Germany in Group D in South Africa, insisted on Tuesday his tackle had not been intentional and he was sorry.

"I just came in too late and made full contact," he told Sport Bild online. "It looks pretty stupid."

German fans have vented their anger on dozens of websites, calling Boateng 'public enemy number one' and setting up chat rooms called '82 million against Boateng' or 'Anti-Boateng Group'.

Boateng's half-brother Jerome is in the preliminary Germany squad for the tournament which takes place between 11 June and 11 July.

Meanwhile, Ballack has still got his domestic career to be resolved as his contract with Chelsea is set to expire at the end of June.

He is optimistic a deal with the Premier League champions can be reached and Ballack told Germany's Bild newspaper: "Chelsea are absolutely my first option.

"We are in contact with the club. The coach first of all wants to discuss things internally and then he will approach the players in a week."

Ballack impressed during the 2008 European Championships, when the Germans were eventually beaten 1-0 in the final by Spain, and was considered a key figure for them again this summer.

Germany kick off their World Cup campaign against Australia on 13 June before matches against Serbia on 18 June and Ghana on 23 June.

Ghana's Michael Essien set to learn World Cup fate

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien will find out later this week if he has any chance of playing for Ghana in the World Cup.

The 27-year-old has not kicked a ball for five months since injuring knee ligaments in January.

"The plan right now is to have a detailed meeting with the Ghana Football Association and with Chelsea as well in the next few days," he said.

If declared fit, Essien hopes to play in a pre-World Cup friendly.

"We are organising [the meeting] as we speak so everyone will be fully informed about the situation and the progress on a daily basis," said Essien.

"We felt it was best to leave it until now so as not to disrupt Chelsea's league and Cup plans and also it is the best time for the Ghana FA as the team will be getting ready to meet up now."

"I feel a lot better than I did a few weeks ago so I am keeping my fingers crossed that all will be well" -Michael Essien said.

Essien's last run-out in a Chelsea shirt was against Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League in December.

Having recovered from his hamstring tear, he then hurt his knee at the Africa Cup of Nations, but that was only expected to keep him out for six weeks.

It was anticipated he would make his Chelsea comeback in the Champions League game against Inter Milan last month, but his knee continued to swell up and he underwent surgery four times inside a fortnight.

"At the moment I am carrying on with my rehabilitation programme," said Essien.

"Chelsea have allowed me to carry on until the end of May at Cobham and my fitness will be assessed by the experts as the days go by.

"I feel a lot better than I did a few weeks ago so I am keeping my fingers crossed that all will be well.

"I haven't played since January as you well know so I will need games before the real thing starts."

This means he could play in the Black Stars last friendly against Latvia in Milton Keynes on 5 June before the World Cup starts on 11 June.

Essien is central to Ghana's hopes in South Africa as they face Serbia, Australia and Germany in Group D.