Borussia Dortmund’s victory over their bitter derby rivals Schalke was tempered by a potentially serious ankle injury to captain Marco Reus.
Reus, who missed Germany’s 2014 World Cup triumph due to an ankle injury, was stretchered off in tears in the 30th minute after a clash with Schalke defender Florian Flick. The Dortmund winger was visibly upset as he lay on the Signal Iduna Park grass as medical professionals rushed over. He was then carried off the pitch after a stoppage to play.
On Saturday, he thanked fans on Instagram for their well wishes saying, “I will be back soon! Congratulations to the team,” Reus wrote. “I will never give up.”
Due to his history of injuries, the German international has missed three significant international tournaments. He missed Germany’s World Cup victory in 2014 due to an ankle injury acquired during a warm-up match and he was unable to compete in the 2016 European Championship due to a groin injury. After his season with Dortmund, he participated in Germany’s dismal World Cup defence in 2018, skipping the subsequent European Championship to rest.
Reus’ injury was only discussed by Dortmund coach Edin Terzić after the game, when it was still unclear how long the player would be out.
“It looks like the ligaments were injured, but I don’t think it will last quite that long,” Terzić told Sky TV reported CBC.
At 33-years-old, the upcoming Fifa World Cup 2022 in Qatar, Reus’ final opportunity to represent Germany on the biggest platform of them all hangs in the balance.
(With inputs from AFP)