RB Leipzig: Two key players are out against Cologne!

RB Leipzig: Two key players are out against Cologne!

RB Leipzig will have to do without two important players in the upcoming game against 1. FC Köln. Xaver Schlager suffered a muscle injury in his right calf in the narrow 1-0 win against Mainz 05 and will not be available to the team for the time being. The exact length of his downtime is still unclear and depends on the healing process. However, it is clear that he will definitely miss the game against Cologne scheduled for September 20, 2025, as Laola1 reports.

Antonio Nusa will also not be in the squad. The winger fractured his right forearm in the same game and will undergo surgery on Tuesday. His return to training also depends on healing and he will also have to sit out against Cologne. According to Sportschau, this failure is a significant weakening for the team, which already has to do without both Schlager and Nusa.

Injury background

Schlager and Nusa's injuries shed light on the most common types of injuries in football, particularly at the professional level. According to the Magazine for Sports Medicine, muscle injuries are a common problem and affect around a third of all footballers. The players are particularly susceptible to injuries due to high running speeds and aggressive gameplay.

This setback is inconvenient for Schlager, who was only able to play four Bundesliga games last season due to injuries, including a torn cruciate ligament. In the competitive games so far this season, however, he had been in the starting line-up in all four matches before the injury against Mainz forced him to be substituted early. After 32 minutes the coach had to make a change to replace Schlager.

Further effects and outlook

The absence of both players hits RB Leipzig hard, as both Schlager and Nusa are significant performers in their respective roles. Nusa had played 66 minutes in the game against Mainz before being replaced by Yan Diomande and had started at least once in the previous three games.

The next challenge for the team will be the game against Cologne, where RB Leipzig will currently have to play without two key players. The team will rely on the depth of their roster depth to fill the void left by these injuries.