Cologne’s Podolski set for spell on sidelines

Bundesliga strugglers Cologne are set to be without German international striker Lukas Podolski for several weeks as he overcomes a back problem, the club said on Tuesday.

Podolski missed training and underwent a scan but is set to be out at a crucial time as the season resumes after the winter break this weekend with Cologne just two points clear of the drop zone.

The club fear that Podolski, who is in his second spell with the side after an unhappy time at Bayern Munich, could be suffering from an intervertebral disc problem, having already a slight discal hernia two years ago.

“We therefore have to be very careful,” coach Zvonimir Soldo told local newspaper Express, which forecast that the player could be out of action for some three weeks.

On Sunday, Cologne resume their league programme at home to fifth-placed Dortmund.

Despite arriving back from Bayern for 10 million euros Podolski has only hit the target once this season with Cologne netting just ten goals in 17 matches.