Adler to miss pre-season tour

Bundesliga side Hamburg have been dealt a blow with the news that goalkeeper Rene Adler has suffered an injury while on international duty.

The 28-year-old is to miss Hamburg’s pre-season trip to Austria as he aims to recover from the slight knee ligament tear which occured while featuring in Germany’s 4-2 win over Ecuador last month.

Adler also suffered bruising to the same knee and will undergo a two-week rehabilitation programme as he targets a return to action in time for his side’s Bundesliga opener against Schalke on August 10.

“In Hamburg, I’m in the best possible place to speed up the recovery process,” Adler told the Bundesliga website.

In Adler’s absence, it will be between Jaroslav Drobny and Sven Neuhaus to battle it out for the goalkeeping position.

Knee surgery previously kept Adler out of the entire 2011-12 season, with the 28-year-old being released by Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the campaign.

But he returned to form with Hamburg last term, making 30 Bundesliga appearances and forcing his way back into international reckoning.