Injured pair hamper Hertha plans

Hertha BSC Berlin have received a double blow ahead of their UEFA Cup first-round tie against Danish side Odense BK after teenagers Kevin-Prince Boateng and Chinedu Ede were injured on international duty.

Boateng hopeful
Striker Ede's chances of lining up for the first leg on 14 September look slim after he sustained a knee injury in a Germany Under-20 game against Switzerland last week. He could be out for three weeks. The same match also saw Boateng suffer ligament damage although the midfielder, another 19-year-old, hopes to return in time for that visit of OB. The pair have made substitute appearances in the Bundesliga this season.