- By Sunny Daud
- Mon, 22 Jun 2026 08:01 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Germany have suffered a major setback ahead of the FIFA World Cup knockout stage, with defender Nico Schlotterbeck ruled out for the rest of the tournament because of an ankle injury.
The centre-back picked up the injury during Germany’s 2-1 win over Ivory Coast, forcing head coach Julian Nagelsmann to rethink his defensive plans at a crucial point in the competition.
According to Goal.com, scans confirmed that Schlotterbeck damaged the medial ligament in his left ankle. The injury is expected to keep him sidelined for around two months.
The 26-year-old received treatment after the incident and initially tried to continue playing. However, he struggled to move comfortably and was taken off at half-time once the seriousness of the injury became clear.
The setback means Germany will be without one of their most important defenders for the knockout rounds. Schlotterbeck had formed a strong partnership with Jonathan Tah in central defence and played a key role with his calmness on the ball and ability to build attacks from the back.
Although Deniz Undav scored twice to secure the victory against Ivory Coast, Schlotterbeck’s injury became the main talking point after the match.
His absence is likely to hand Antonio Rudiger a return to the starting lineup. The Real Madrid defender replaced Schlotterbeck at half-time and now looks set to play a bigger role as Germany continue their World Cup campaign.