Shock diagnosis for Timo Werner: One day after the acclaimed entry into the round of 16 of the Champions League, the RB Leipzig striker’s World Cup dreams were shattered.
The national soccer player is out for the tournament, which begins in three weeks’ time in Qatar, due to a ruptured syndesmosis ligament in his left ankle. As his club announced on Thursday, Werner will not be able to play until the end of the year due to the injury.
Werner was fouled by Taras Stepanenko in the 14th minute of the 4-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in Warsaw on Wednesday and had to be replaced a few minutes later.
The club initially said the injury might not be serious. Werner underwent another examination in Leipzig on Thursday, which revealed the severity of the injury.
For the 26-year-old, the news comes as a heavy blow. After two rather disappointing years at Chelsea, Werner returned to Leipzig in the summer. In a familiar environment, the attacker played for the Saxons from 2016 to 2020, Werner wanted to gain match practice and self-confidence for the World Cup. National coach Hansi Flick also welcomed the transfer and described Werner as an asset to the Bundesliga.
Most recently, he had defended the attacker against criticism. “Timo Werner is always viewed very critically. He scored the most goals in the last few games. If Miro Klose had done it earlier, everyone would have been thrilled,” said the national coach on the Internet broadcaster MagentaTV.
In the past few weeks, the Swabian has actually found his form again. Three goals in the last three league games and goals in the Champions League at Celtic Glasgow and against Real Madrid not only made the player happy, but also Flick, who was not blessed with many strikers. With Werner out, Bremen’s Niclas Füllkrug could have a better chance of participating in Qatar. The 29-year-old is the best striker in the Bundesliga with nine goals.
