Holland striker Dirk Kuyt feels sad for his national and Liverpool team mate Ryan Babel after the winger was ruled out for seven weeks following an ankle injury.

Babel suffered a torn ligament in his ankle during training on Saturday and Kuyt disclosed that not only Babel, but the entire team was devastated, as the 21-year-old will miss the Euro 2008.

"It is a terrible blow for Ryan, and a real shock for all of us," Kuyt is quoted as saying on Liverpool's official website.

"The feeling in the camp was that it was quite a bad injury. And it happened without any contact with anyone else, he went down in training as he was running.

"He switched from left to right with the ball and his leg just buckled under him. There was a loud noise, we felt at first it might have been broken, everyone heard it.

"It is really sad for him and hopefully he will recover as quick as possible to be back at Liverpool next season from the start.

"He is young, and there will be other tournaments. But that is not the way to think, you want to be playing in every big tournament you can during your career."

Kuyt was certain that Babel would have surely made an impact in the European championship, which begins June 7 jointly hosted by Austria and Switzerland.

"I feel very sorry for what has happened to Ryan," added Kuyt. "He has trained really well and looked very good as the tournament approached.

"It is very disappointing for us, and obviously for him, that he is out. It is a big tournament, and he would have been very important for us.

"And, of course, also at Liverpool. Hopefully he will be fit for the beginning of the season, but we will have to wait and see about that.

"All I can say is that I want him to be back as quick as possible. I have left a message on his phone wishing him well, he was clearly very upset about what had happened.

"I just told him how sorry I was that he was missing the European finals and to get himself back as quick as he could.

"He has shown how important he was for Liverpool, coming on so often as substitute and scoring really important goals.

"Maybe Holland would have used him in the same way. He did so well during the Champions League for us, it was obvious what he could give to a team.

"Maybe for now he is a 'shock' from the bench. But he has improved over the season and now he is very important for Liverpool and Holland."