Stuttgart dealt Delpierre blow

VfB Stuttgart have lost centre-back Matthieu Delpierre for up to six weeks after he damaged a tendon in his right knee.

Surgery required
The 26-year-old French defender, who played 33 Bundesliga games in 2006/07 and was a key component in Stuttgart winning their first league title since 1992, has been suffering from the injury for some time and did not travel with the German champions to their week-long pre-season training camp in Irdning, Austria. He will undergo an operation in France and is expected to be sidelined until the end of August.

Determined
It means he is likely to miss the first three rounds of the new Bundesliga with Stuttgart playing last season's Bundesliga runners-up FC Schalke 04 to start the new campaign on Friday 10 August. "Of course I had other ideas for the start of this season, but I really need surgery now," said Delpierre. "I will do anything to be fit again as soon as possible." Stuttgart, who have also released 25-year-old Croatian midfielder Mario Carević, will start their 2007/08 UEFA Champions League campaign in the group stage.