Niko Schlotterbeck, defender of the German national football team, underwent an X-ray examination on his right ankle, after he fell during the last training session before facing Serbia, tomorrow, Thursday, in the European Nations League.
Schlotterbeck suffered the injury during the enthusiastic warm-up period at the beginning of Wednesday's training session, in a worrying blow to new coach Jurgen Klopp. The Borussia Dortmund defender, who had just returned to fitness after a similar injury he suffered at the World Cup, suddenly fell to the ground and put his hands on his face.
The German Football Association said that the player was taken directly to the hospital, for an MRI examination. In order to accurately determine the extent of the injury.
Schlotterbeck was a candidate to wear the captaincy of the German national team against Serbia, in light of the absence of Joshua Kimmich from the team roster, for the second week in a row. Kimmich was absent from the current camp, after a list of 44 players was divided into two groups, to allow Klopp the opportunity to get to know his new players better.
Before and during Klopp's first appearance with the German national team against the Netherlands last week, which ended in a 1-1 draw, Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz suffered two muscle injuries.
Klopp is scheduled to hold a press conference later in the day, alongside goalkeeper Jonas Orbig, who is preparing to play his first international match with Germany at home in Munich, where the coach is expected to provide an update on Schlotterbeek’s condition.
The German national team is already facing pressure in its group in the European Nations League, after losing 1-0 to Greece last Sunday.
Manu Kone, the midfielder of the French national football team, expressed his astonishment at the participation of Zinedine Zidane, the new coach, in the training, stressing that seeing one of the most prominent football stars in history wearing his shoes and participating with the players in training was an exceptional moment for him.
Zidane, who was considered one of the best playmakers in the world during his period of brilliance, was in full readiness as he distributed passes and made crosses in front of his players who were amazed by his abilities, even though he was 54 years old.
Kone said yesterday, Tuesday, before facing Italy, the day after tomorrow, Friday, at the “Stade de France” stadium in the European Nations League: “What surprised me most, during the first week of training, was his technical abilities. He maintained all his skills.”
Kone (25 years old) added: “Seeing him up close is much better, especially at his age. It is true that I was young when he was at the end of his career, but seeing that he still has those skills now means that his level in his era was amazing, for sure.”
Zidane scored two goals in France's victory over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final, becoming a global star overnight, after his famous picture was lit up on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, during the French celebrations of the title. Then he was crowned with the Golden Ball award, and two years later his wonderful performance led the French team to another title in the European Championship.
Kone added: “It is wonderful to train under the leadership of Zidane, a world legend. He asked me to play freely and gave me confidence. He was a midfielder, so I listen to everything he says, and I can only learn from him and by working alongside him. He gives me a lot of advice about my positioning and gives me greater responsibilities.”
Mercedes driver George Russell has high hopes for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which will be held this week at the Sepang Circuit, a circuit that has always been associated with special memories for him, even though he has never raced on it.
The British driver told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that Sepang was his favorite track when he was a child, spending long hours behind the PlayStation screen, imagining himself in the world of Formula 1.
Russell, who achieved another victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, added: “This will be my first time racing at the Sepang Circuit, but it was my favorite circuit when I was a child racing on the PlayStation.”
He continued jokingly, "So I'm very excited to be here, and I hope that all those hours I spent holding the joystick will help me gain some extra speed this week."
Bahrain was scheduled to host the race on October 4, before it was moved to Sepang due to the conflict in the Middle East.
The Sepang Circuit returns to the Formula 1 schedule for the first time since 2017, after hosting races in Malaysia stopped due to high costs, but it remains one of the most famous international circuits and a fixed station in the World Motorcycle Championship.
Of the 22 drivers on the starting line, only ten have previously raced at the Malaysian circuit, while the record of current winners is limited to Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who finished second behind Russell in Baku.
Despite limited experience on this track, Russell expressed his confidence in Mercedes' ability to continue its dominance.
“Compared to some of the drivers who have previously raced here, I think we have a very strong competitive package, which may give us a certain advantage,” he said during an event organized by the Malaysian National Oil Company (Petronas), the team’s main sponsor. But in the end, the competition is always fierce.”
His young Italian colleague Kimi Antonelli leads the Drivers' Championship standings by 66 points ahead of Russell, while Hamilton occupies third place, 103 points behind the lead.
Mercedes also sits at the top of the Constructors' Championship, 160 points ahead of Ferrari.
For his part, Antonelli warned of the impact of the volatile Malaysian weather, with heavy rain expected over the weekend, in addition to fog resulting from forest fires in Indonesia.
“From everything I heard, when it rains here it is very heavy, so we try to prepare for all possibilities,” he said.
He added: “If the rain actually falls, it will be a big challenge for everyone, because most drivers’ experience of driving on wet tracks with these cars is still very limited.”
