Berlin  - Hertha Berlin will be without midfielder Cicero for Sunday's Bundesliga trip to in-form Hoffenheim due to a calf strain, the club confirmed Friday.

The Brazilian picked up the injury Wednesday in his side's German cup defeat on penalties to second-division 1860 Munich and will be out for up to three weeks.

Under-fire coach Lucien Favre will also be missing Artur Wichniarek, Florian Kringe, Jaroslav Drobny and Fabian Lustenberger for a match that could decide the 51-year-old's fate.

Hertha currently sit in last place in the Bundesliga after suffering five successive defeats since the opening-day win over Hanover - the latest a 4-0 drubbing by newly-promoted Freiburg.

Favre has a contract until 2011 and has so far received backing from the Hertha board.