Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Defender Nico Schlotterbeck is out of the World Cup after injuring a left-ankle ligament, the German Football association (DFB) announced on Monday. The 26-year-old Dortmund defender was replaced at half time as Germany beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto on Saturday. He scored the second goal in the 7-1 win over Curacao in Germany’s opener.
“He will be sidelined for several months. This was confirmed by medical examinations on Sunday,” said the statement, adding that Schlotterbeck “will remain with the team in the US for the time being.” Germany, who have already ensured their place in the last 32, will face Ecuador in their last group match in New York on Thursday.
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“We’ll really miss Schlotti on the field as an outstanding defender, especially his excellent build-up play,” said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann on Monday. “It could have been his World Cup. We all tried to cheer him up yesterday — luckily, he’s a very positive guy who’s already looking ahead. It’s a good sign that he’s staying here with the team for now, because he has an impact off the field as well.”
“Despite his absence, we’re still very well-placed in central defence for the World Cup with Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rüdiger, Waldemar Anton, and Malick Thiaw.” The timeframe given by the DFB means Schlotterbeck will miss the start of next season. Borussia Dortmund, last season’s Bundesliga runners-up, face champions Bayern Munich on August 22. Their league campaign begins the following weekend.
“I feel extremely sorry for Nico; he was in really good form and an indispensable part of our national team’s starting line-up,” Lars Ricken, Dortmund’s sporting director, told the club website. “It’s a real shame and incredibly tough to take that he’s now out of the World Cup due to injury. But Nico showed last year how he can come back even stronger after an injury.”
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