Schalke forward Breel Embolo could miss the remainder of the 2016-17 season after suffering an ankle injury in the club's 1-1 draw at Augsburg on Saturday, the Royal Blues announced on Sunday.
Embolo, 19, suffered the injury in a challenge with defender Konstantinos Stafylidis and was initially ruled out for the rest of 2016 with a broken ankle. On Sunday, the Switzerland international underwent surgery at the Hessingpark Clinic in Augsburg which revealed his injury to be worse than expected.
"Not only did the foul by Augsburg's Kostas Stafylidis lead to a complicated ankle fracture, a rupture to Embolo's syndesmosis and medial collateral ligament were also discovered," Schalke said on their official website, adding that the player "will be out of action for between at least four and six months."
"Everyone at Schalke is shocked by the injury. We've all seen how strongly Breel identifies with the club and, at just 19 years of age, has already developed into a very important player," Royal Blues sporting director Christian Heidel said.
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Stafylidis, meanwhile, issued an apology to Embolo on his Instagram account. "I want to apologise to Breel Embolo and FC Schalke," he said. "I always play aggressively against the ball, but I never intend to injure my opponent. I have the greatest respect for my opponents and for football, and that's why I never play unfair."
Schalke, who have only picked up four points from their first seven league games, could run into even more injury trouble with kicker reporting that winger Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting suffered a knee injury in the Augsburg match.