Ribéry out of WC playoffs

Bad news for national coach Raymond Domenech and the French people. Franck Ribery’s injury will keep him out of the World Cup playoffs against Ireland in November.

Ribéry was expected to return to the pitch before the first playoff match on November 14 but his knee injury may sideline the midfielder for months.

“I can’t tell how long he needs to recover from his injury,” said Ribéry’s coach at Bayern Munich, Louis van Gaal after the match against Bordeaux (2-1 loss).

“It can take a month, but it may last longer. I can’t tell you that at the moment.”

The midfielder visited knee specialist Professor Jean-Henri Jaeger in Strasbourg on Tuesday but he couldn’t tell Ribéry if a surgery was necessary.

If the doctors think an operation is inevitable, the French star will be out for the rest of 2009.