Germany strong enough without me - Ballack

MUNICH, Germany - Germany can overcome the absence of injured captain Michael Ballack with younger players taking on more responsibility at the World Cup, the Chelsea midfielder said on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old Ballack picked up an ankle injury in Saturday's FA Cup final against Portsmouth, limping off during his team's 1-0 win after a late tackle by Kevin-Prince Boateng.

Despite being ruled out for eight weeks and missing what would have been his third World Cup, Ballack flew to Germany's pre-tournament training camp in Italy to support his team.