© Reuters 2002

BERLIN, March 2 (Reuters) - Germany midfielder Marko Rehmer will be out for several weeks after damaging ligaments in his right ankle during Hertha Berlin's 1-1 draw at Cologne on Saturday.

There were fears initially that Rehmer had broken his ankle after he was flattened by a two-footed challenge from Cologne's Christian Springer in the 18th minute.

A broken ankle would probably have ruled Rehmer out of the World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan, but it later emerged that the injury was not as serious as first thought.