Bayer Leverkusen and Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz is set to be sidelined for “several weeks” with an ankle injury, his club have confirmed.
Wirtz was rested from the start and came on at half-time during Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Werder Bremen, replacing Emiliano Buendia, but was on the pitch for just 14 minutes before having to be replaced due to the injury.
His ankle was injured in a challenge by Bremen’s Mitchell Weiser and he was then replaced by Alex Grimaldo.
Wirtz left the stadium on crutches and went to hospital after the match to assess the extent of the injury.
Leverkusen have now confirmed that he has “sustained an injury to the medial ligament in his right ankle” with an MRI scan after the game determining he will now be “out for several weeks.”
The 21-year-old has scored 15 goals in 39 appearances for Xabi Alonso’s side across all competitions this season, while he also netted three times in five starts for Germany during their Nations League campaign.
Wirtz will be missing when Leverkusen next play, against Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, in which they trail 3-0 after last week’s first leg in Munich.
Alonso’s side, who are second and eight points behind Bayern, return to Bundesliga action five days later with a trip to Stuttgart.
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The 3-0 deficit they must overcome against Bayern Munich on Tuesday looked onerous enough with Wirtz available. Without him, the task looks near impossible.
Wirtz has had an outstanding season, arguably playing a level above the one he reached last year, when Leverkusen won their undefeated Bundesliga and German Cup double. More than likely, regardless of this injury, he will be the country’s Footballer of the Year for a second successive time, too.
And it’s impossible to overstate how important he is to Xabi Alonso. Leverkusen are a good side without Wirtz but with his scything ball-carrying, playmaking, and ability to find space between a midfield and defence, they are infinitely more dangerous with him.
Tellingly, in the last game between Leverkusen and Bayern at the BayArena — February’s 0-0 draw — he was by far the most prominent player, accenting his side’s performance with a verve and vitality that Vincent Kompany’s team found incredibly difficult to subdue.
Leverkusen’s Bundesliga challenge is likely already over. Their Champions League participation was tenuous at best before this news. No, it hangs by a thread.
(Pau Barrena/Getty Images)
