FC Schalke 04: Weston McKennie taken off field with injury vs. Eintracht
FC Schalke 04 already lost three starting-caliber center backs to injury, and makeshift defender Weston McKennie went down with a scary injury on Matchday 15 against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Fans of the Royal Blues are holding their breaths after Weston McKennie went down with a scary-looking injury in the first 15 minutes of their Matchday 15 tilt against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The versatile FC Schalke 04 midfielder drew the start at center back again after Matija Nastasic was unable to return from a knee injury, which bounced the Serbian international out of last week’s loss to Bayer Leverkusen.
McKennie suffered the injury while going for an aerial duel in midfield, and the emergency center back option had to be stretchered off the field. We can only hope McKennie will be OK and hasn’t suffered a serious injury.
Schalke replaced McKennie with FC Barcelona loanee Juan Miranda, who plays at left back. Bastian Oczipka shifted to center back to take McKennie’s spot in the lineup, playing alongside Ozan Kabak. Before the game, Schalke manager David Wagner made it clear McKennie would be the preferred emergency option at center back over Oczipka, but the injury forced him to play Oczipka at center back anyway.
The action for Miranda should be a positive, since Barca are interested in terminating the loan deal due to Miranda’s lack of playing time. This injury to McKennie probably won’t change anything for Miranda, but if the injury to the American is serious, it could force the Royal Blues to add a defensive reenforcement during the winter transfer period.
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Schalke already lost Benjamin Stambouli and Salif Sane to significant injuries, and both will be back during the Ruckrunde. McKennie had done a solid job as an emergency option alongside standout youngster Ozan Kabak, who forms a great pairing with Nastasic when the latter is healthy.
Keep a close eye on all updates regarding McKennie’s status. The versatile American is a key part of this Schalke team both as a center midfielder and as an emergency option at a variety of positions. Here’s to wishing McKennie the best in his recovery and to hoping that Nastasic can also come back soon.