Barcelona’s Ilkay Gundogan injured: what is the injury? How long is he out for?
The German midfielder was forced off against France after suffering an injury. Here is the latest update.
FC Barcelona and Germany midfielder Ilkay Gündogan was forced off the pitch against France in a friendly game due to an injury. Germany beat France 2-1 at Signal Iduna Park thanks to goals from Thomas Müller and Leroy Sané, before Antoine Griezmann got one back from the penalty spot late on.
Gündogan was taken off after suffering a nasty fall which saw him land on his lower back. Manager Rudi Völler substituted the player after receiving treatment on the pitch and the player was seen in tears as he left for the changing room just 25 minutes into the game.
Barcelona are also currently without both Ronald Araújo and Pedri due to injury.
⏱️ 25'
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) September 12, 2023
We're forced into an early sub 🤕
⬇️ İlkay Gündoğan
⬆️ Pascal Groß #DFBTeam #GERFRA 🇩🇪1:0🇫🇷
What injury does Gündogan have?
The extent of the injury was not known directly after the match and the player underwent medical tests to see how serious the issue was. Despite him being able to walk off the pitch, the fact that Gündogan was in tears was not a good sign and fans waited nervously to see what the results of the scan were.
New Germany manager Völler tried to calm tensions after the game by saying that Gündogan’s injury “is a bruise” and “not a fracture”.
The results of the scan proved to be correct: Gundogan suffered a heavy bruise on his pelvis and no bones are broken.
How long is he out for?
The medical examination and the good news that it provided also gave Barcelona an estimated time of recovery: just 24 hours. This comes as great news for Barcelona who were worried about the situation of their new midfielder, not to mention the fans and the sense of panic that instantly spread across social media along with the eye-watering video of the fall.
When is Barcelona’s next game?
The alarm bells were ringing in Barcelona as the defending LaLiga champions look to catch up to Real Madrid in the league as they get their Champions League campaign underway next week. They play Real Betis on September 16 before hosting Antwerp on the 19th in the continental competition. It looks like the German will be available for both fixtures.