Sports

Germany’s Nico Schlotterbeck suspected to have a ligament injury

Nairavoice · Jun 20, 2026 · 1 min read

Nico Schlotterbeck of Germany

Germany may be facing the loss of yet another crucial player with a grim prognosis.

Prior to the tournament, Bayern Munich youth sensation Lennart Karl had to bow out with a muscle tear. While the youngster is thankfully not in any significant pain or distress, he had to stay out of the tournament to rehabilitate before the 2026/27 season begins. He was replaced by RB Leipzig youngster Assan Ouédraogo.

Now, the defense takes a hit. In Germany‘s game against Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), Borussia Dortmund‘s Nico Schlotterbeck sustained an ankle injury during an attempted challenge against Amad Diallo. The impact against his left foot left necessitated that the medical team intervene. The defender was treated on the side before he went back to continue the remainder of the game, a near 30-minutes of playing. At halftime, he was replaced by Antonio Rüdiger.

Following what was already a below-average defensive game from Germany, there is more bad news. Manager Julian Nagelsmann spoke to the press and revealed that they suspect Schlotterbeck has sustained a ligament injury and that he will undergo imaging to find the exact diagnosis.

“It’s not looking good,” the manager said, per @iMiaSanMia.

While Germany have comfortably made it to the knockout stages with two wins in their bag, it remains to be seen how they will handle the rest of the tournament with Schlotterbeck out.