Bitter pill

Diagnosis has been made: Wirtz out for several weeks!

Florian Wirtz was injured in the Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen.(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

DFB star Florian Wirtz will miss German soccer champions Bayer Leverkusen for several weeks. Coach Xabi Alonso's team will not only have to do without the 21-year-old on Tuesday in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, but for several weeks. He suffered an inner ligament injury in his right ankle, as Bayer announced. Wirtz will therefore also not be available for the national team in the Nations League quarter-final clash with Italy.

"I'm very sorry for Flo. There are big games coming up, both at the club and with the national team, which he will miss and where he will be extremely missed by Bayer and us," said DFB head coach Julian Nagelsmann. "But the most important thing now is his health. All of us at the national team wish him a speedy recovery and a speedy recovery!"

Rolfes hopes for Wirtz in the final spurt of the season
Leverkusen's sporting director Simon Rolfes said: "Florian's absence naturally affects us at this stage of the season, but we will make up for it with a strong team." The 21-year-old will at least be spared the feared end to the season. "We know Florian and know that he will be back as soon as possible. Everyone will support him. We're assuming that he'll be fit again for the final spurt of the season," said Rolfes.

Wirtz was injured as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Werder Bremen on Saturday when his team-mate Mitchell Weiser was fouled. Alonso had probably rested the attacker against Werder because of the second leg against Bayern. Wirtz then had to come on at half-time with the score at 0:1, but was only able to play 14 minutes. In the end, he left the stadium on crutches and was taken to a clinic in Cologne.