Hingst injury leaves Krahn unworried

Germany centre-back Annike Krahn has quelled suggestions that she will feel the pressure of not playing alongside her experienced defensive partner Ariane Hingst when she lines up against Norway in the semi-finals of UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™.

Setback
Hingst, capped 165 times and part of their last three European triumphs, will miss the rest of the tournament with a left knee injury sustained in the quarter-final victory against Italy on Friday and will undergo surgery once she arrives back in Germany after the competition. Krahn was in relaxed mood ahead of the match at the Helsinki Football Stadium, though, spending the morning playing cards with her team-mates before showing few signs of nerves when she spoke to the massed media.

Not nervous
"The tension will only grow the closer the game gets," said the FCR 2001 Duisburg player. The loss of Hingst, who partnered Krahn in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup victory in China and to 2008 Olympic bronze, means more responsibility on the 24-year-old's shoulders and a different-looking German backline.

Angerer praise
"I am not worried, my task hasn't changed, but of course it makes a difference if you lose such an experienced player," she explained. There is another reason why Krahn thinks that the loss of Hingst will not play into Norway's hands. "Nadine Angerer is a world-class goalkeeper and it's good to know that if you make a mistake there is somebody behind you keeping focused until the very last minute," added Krahn, alluding to Angerer's late save against Italy in the quarter-finals when Germany were almost taken to extra time.

'Different team'
When Silvia Neid's side defeated Norway 4-0 in their Group B opener two weeks ago in Tampere, the Germany defence were largely untroubled. However, following their opponents' unexpected 3-1 quarter-final defeat of Sweden, Krahn is preparing for a confidence-fuelled Norway. "We as defenders should also expect a different Norwegian team," she said, before suggesting Bjarne Berntsen's charges will not alter their approach too dramatically. "They won't change their playing style. They will try to be successful again with long balls but they will be better this time in controlling the ball."

Peter confident
Full-back Babett Peter is also confident that Germany can cope without Hingst, saying: "It's going to be different without her but we've spent a long time preparing for the tournament and all the players know how to play with each other. That's why I don't think we are going to have any problems."

Bad news
Meanwhile Hingst had an MRI scan on Monday and it seems she could be out for longer than feared. German team doctor Dr Bernd Lasarzewski said: "On the pictures, you can see that besides damaging the collateral meniscus, she has also suffered cartilage damage. The full extent of the cartilage damage can only be determined by a an endoscopy, and only then we will know for how long she will be sidelined. However, one can already surely say that she will be out for more than three to four weeks. In similar cases, rehab takes between six weeks and six months. A more precise diagnosis can not be given at the time."