Ankle injury sidelines Ya Konan

Hannover and Ivory Coast forward Didier Ya Konan has been ruled out for the rest of 2013 due to an ankle injury.

The 29-year-old was hurt during Hannover’s 1-1 draw with Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga on Friday night.

He subsequently underwent surgery in Basel, Switzerland and his club have now confirmed he is set for a lengthy lay-off despite the operation being declared a success.

A statement on Hannover’s official website confirmed Ya Konan’s return is not expected “before Christmas”.

Hannover manager Mirko Slomka added: “Obviously it’s a difficult blow for both Didier and for us as a team. There’s no doubt that we will miss him.

“We wish Didier a speedy recovery so that he can rejoin with the team as soon as possible.”

The striker featured as a substitute in Ivory Coast’s 1-1 draw with Morocco that completed their qualifying group for next year’s FIFA World Cup.

They were drawn against Senegal in a two-legged play-off to earn a place in Brazil but Ya Konan is now set to miss both matches, with the first encounter taking place this week and the return tie on November 16.