JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Netherlands winger Arjen Robben looks set to miss his team's opening World Cup match against Denmark due to a hamstring injury. Here are some of the other players who have been ruled out or are doubtful for matches in the tournament which begins on Friday. OUT NANI The Portuguese winger was ruled out on Tuesday after hurting his shoulder in training in Lisbon last week. MICHAEL BALLACK The German captain was ruled out of the finals with an ankle injury after a late challenge by Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng during Chelsea's FA Cup final win over Portsmouth in May. RIO FERDINAND The England captain will miss the finals after injuring his knee in his country's first major training session in South Africa on Friday. MICHAEL ESSIEN The Ghana midfielder suffered a knee injury at the African Nations Cup in January and has failed to recover in time. JOHN OBI MIKEL The midfielder was forced out of the tournament with a badly bruised ankle suffered in Nigeria's first full contact training session in South Africa on Friday. LASSANA DIARRA The holding midfielder will not play in South Africa after being told he needed an extended rest because of persistent stomach pains which began during France's week-long training camp in the French Alps last month. DAVID BECKHAM England's most capped outfield player ruptured his Achilles tendon playing for his loan club AC Milan in March. RENE ADLER Germany's first-choice goalkeeper underwent surgery on a rib injury in May and will play no part in the finals. SIMON ROLFES The German midfielder ruled himself out of the World Cup after saying he was short of match fitness following knee surgery in January. CHRISTIAN TRAESCH The German midfielder, who was considered a possible replacement for captain Michael Ballack, is out after injuring his ankle in a friendly at the squad's training camp in Italy. HEIKO WESTERMANN The defender will miss the tournament after fracturing a bone in his foot during Germany's warm-up win over Hungary last week. MIROSLAV KARHAN Slovakia's most capped player has a hamstring injury and will miss his country's first World Cup appearance. - - - - DOUBTFUL DIDIER DROGBA The Ivory Coast's fearsome striker underwent successful surgery on an injured elbow on Saturday but remains a doubt for the finals. Drogba picked up the injury in a World Cup warm-up against Japan on Friday. ARJEN ROBBEN The Dutch winger sustained a hairline crack in his left hamstring on Saturday and coach Bert van Marwijk said he is not expected to feature in their opening World Cup match against Denmark on June 14. ANDREA PIRLO The Italian midfielder will miss the defending champions' opening game of the tournament against Paraguay, and possibly the whole tournament, after injuring his calf in Thursday's 2-1 friendly defeat by Mexico. HARRY KEWELL The Australian winger has hardly played since December because of a troublesome groin injury. TIM BROWN It is unknown if the New Zealand vice-captain will recover in time from surgery on a fractured shoulder suffered in the friendly defeat to Australia last month. (Compiled by Patrick Johnston; To query or comment on this story email [email protected])
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