Van der Vaart out for at least 4 weeks

Footballer Rafael van der Vaart will be sidelined for at least four weeks after suffering an ankle injury during the scoreless friendly between the Netherlands and Colombia here.

Medical examination at his club Hamburger SV Wednesday revealed that the 30-year-old midfielder suffered a tear in the interior ligaments of his right ankle and also damaged the outer ligaments during the match Tuesday, reports Xinhua.

The German club captain limped off in injury time of the first half against Colombia after a tough challenge by Abel Aguilar from behind. The latter received a yellow card for the challenge.

How long the recovery period will last is not clear but he will probably not play anymore this year. The last match of Hamburger SV this year is Dec 21 at home against FSV Mainz 05.

"I will do everything possible to get back on the pitch as quick as possible," said van der Vaart.

Van der Vaart was not the only Dutchman who got injured against Colombia. Ajax captain Siem de Jong suffered a hamstring injury and will undergo an MRI scan Thursday to examine the injury.