Belgium's Casteels suffers broken shin

Sinsheim, Germany (SportsNetwork.com) - Hoffenheim goalkeeper Koen Casteels will be out of action for several months after breaking his shinbone in Bundesliga action this weekend, the German club confirmed Monday.

Casteels was taken off the pitch on a stretcher in the 73rd minute of Hoffenheim's clash with hertha Berlin on Sunday after colliding with Adrian Ramos. The severity of Casteels' injury was confirmed after the match and he is expected to undergo surgery in Berlin in the near future.

"The whole game is overshadowed by this injury," said Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol in his post-match press conference. "He's been given some painkillers and has already been taken to hospital. After that injury, you could see that the whole team was in shock."

Casteels, 21, is Belgium's third-choice goalkeeper and consequently will miss the World Cup.