Prödl sidelined for rest of the season

SV Werder Bremen defender Sebastian Prödl will miss the remainder of the Bundesliga season and is a doubt for Austria's UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier against Germany in June after undergoing surgery on a gluteal muscle.

Prödl, who sustained the injury in training on 17 March, had an operation in Graz on Friday, but has been told that he must watch the remainder of Bremen's battle against relegation from the sidelines. "It hurts to miss out on the final stretch of the Bundesliga season," said the 23-year-old, "but I will still watch every match and hope my team-mates fare well."

Fielded by coach Dietmar Constantini in three of Austria's four qualifiers, Prödl now faces a long programme of rehabilitation. He not only missed the 2-0 loss to Belgium on Friday, and will do likewise in Turkey on Tuesday, but is also a doubt for the visit of Group A leaders Germany on 3 June.

"I must accept the situation as it is and learn to deal with it," he said. "Unfortunately, there are very few examples of this rare injury, but I will do everything I can to return as quickly as possible for Bremen and the Austrian national team."