Germany’s World Cup campaign has suffered a serious defensive blow after Nico Schlotterbeck was ruled out for several months with a ligament injury in his left ankle.

According to the DFB Team’s Instagram update on Schlotterbeck’s injury, the Borussia Dortmund defender sustained the injury during Saturday’s 2-1 win over Ivory Coast and will remain with the squad in the USA for the time being.

The result secured another important win for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, but it came at a heavy price. The match was played at Toronto Stadium in Canada, where Schlotterbeck was forced off at half-time after trying to continue through the pain.

A serious setback for Germany

Schlotterbeck has become one of Germany’s most important defenders, valued not only for his strength in duels but also for his passing from the back. His absence leaves Nagelsmann with a major adjustment to make as Germany move deeper into the tournament.

Read also: Klopp's clear message to Iraola: "Get the ball to Florian Wirtz"

The injury is expected to keep the 26-year-old out for several months, ending his World Cup and creating concern for Borussia Dortmund ahead of the new club season.

The DFB’s message said: “Nico suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle during Saturday’s 2-1 victory against Ivory Coast and will be out for several months. He will remain with the team in the USA for now. Get well soon, Nico! We are by your side!”

Nagelsmann loses a key defender

As quoted by DFB.de in its interview with Julian Nagelsmann after the Ivory Coast match, the Germany coach said: “He has suffered a medial ankle ligament injury. We need to wait for the scan results, but unfortunately it didn’t look good. It was remarkable that he managed to carry on until half-time. He put his body on the line for the team.”

That assessment has now been followed by confirmation of a long absence. Schlotterbeck’s injury leaves Germany without a central defender who had been central to Nagelsmann’s plans and who had looked set for a prominent role at the tournament.

Read also: Bielsa warns football is losing its flow at the World Cup

Antonio Rüdiger replaced him at half-time against Ivory Coast and is now likely to take on a larger role. Jonathan Tah, Waldemar Anton and Malick Thiaw also remain options in central defence.

No replacement available

Germany cannot simply call up another outfield player at this stage of the tournament. Under FIFA rules, late replacements after a team’s opening match are only permitted for goalkeepers, leaving Nagelsmann to work with the defenders already in his squad.

As described by Welt’s report on Schlotterbeck’s World Cup absence, Nagelsmann said Schlotterbeck would be badly missed because of his defending and “excellent build-up play.”

For Schlotterbeck, the focus now turns to recovery. For Germany, the task is more immediate: moving forward in the World Cup without one of the players they expected to anchor the back line.

Read also: Iran’s national anthem sparks strong reaction before World Cup match vs Belgium

Read also: FIFA whistleblower: "The pattern of behaviour hasn’t changed"