Drogba breaks his arm. Will miss World Cup.

[Captain Hilts]

Heh, heh...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/04/didier-drogba-world-cup-injury

The Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is set to miss the World Cup with a suspected fractured elbow after he was forced off in a friendly against Japan today. Drogba had put his country 1-0 ahead with a free-kick in the 15th minute against Japan before going down following a challenge from the Japan defender Tulio – off whom Drogba's goal had deflected in – and he left the pitch in visible distress.

Drogba was immediately taken to hospital in Sion, Switzerland, where the Ivorians have been undergoing altitude training. "Of course I am worried, he's our captain and one of the best players in the world," said the Ivory Coast manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, who attached no blame to Tulio. "It was unlucky, he didn't want to hurt anyone. Football is a game of contact."

The injury is a devastating blow to the player, who was hoping to crown what he termed the finest season of his career by leading his country to glory at the first World Cup to be staged in Africa. The loss of a player who has scored 44 goals in 69 appearances for his country – and hit 37 in all competitions for Chelsea this season – severely damages the Elephants' chances of making an impact in South Africa. Ivory Coast are in perhaps the toughest of all groups, with Brazil and Portugal representing formidable obstacles between them and the next round.
...

[MrCoffee]

1. Well hell, Group G just got a whole lot easier to predict.