Nico Schlotterbeck Out of Germany’s Nations League Matches With Ankle Injury
Germany will be without Nico Schlotterbeck for their Nations League matches against Serbia and Greece after the Borussia Dortmund centre-back injured his right ankle in training.
The 26-year-old suffered damage to the lateral ligaments during the squad’s final session before the Serbia match in Munich. An on-field assessment was followed by an MRI scan, which confirmed the ankle injury.
Quick facts
- Nico Schlotterbeck has injured the lateral ligaments in his right ankle.
- He will miss Germany’s fixtures against Serbia and Greece.
- Germany will not bring another defender into the squad.
- The side have one point in League A, Group 2, behind Greece and the Netherlands.
Schlotterbeck was hurt during a session intended to be light preparation work. He appeared to be in considerable pain before receiving immediate treatment from the medical staff.
The German FA confirmed that the defender would not be available for either of the remaining matches in the international window. No timeframe has been set for his recovery, and the extent of the ligament damage has not been further detailed.
Jürgen Klopp will not call up a replacement, leaving the existing group to cover the absence in defence as he pursues his first win in charge of the national side.
The setback is another difficult ankle issue for Schlotterbeck. He previously spent several months out after seriously injuring his left ankle in Germany’s World Cup group-stage game against Ivory Coast; this time, the problem is on the opposite side.
Schlotterbeck played in the 1-1 Nations League draw with the Netherlands, but was left out of the matchday squad for the 1-0 loss to Greece.
Germany are due to host Serbia in Munich on Thursday before travelling to Greece on October 4. They sit third in League A, Group 2, with one point, while Greece have six and the Netherlands have four.
