Manchester United and Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has suffered medial knee ligament damage and is now a doubt for Euro 2016.
The 31-year-old picked up the injury in training with the German national team on Tuesday, and further scans showed the extent of the issue which now puts his participation in United’s season run-in and the European Championship in jeopardy.
“Bastian is out of the internationals against England on Saturday and Italy on Tuesday,” an official statement from the German FA read, as reported by Sky Sports.
“The MRI scan today found the captain suffered a partial tear of the medial ligament in his right knee after a tackle with an opponent at the end of training on Tuesday.
“Medical care will be provided by Manchester United in coordination with the medical department of the German team.”
Having just returned from a knee injury, it is a bitter blow for player, club and country that the former Bayern Munich captain will now be forced to sit out for a significant period in order to recover again.
It has been frustrating first season in England for the German international, as he has been limited to 31 appearances in all competitions, scoring just once and providing two assists.
Schweinsteiger would have hoped to have played an instrumental role in Louis van Gaal’s side this season, which in turn would have secured his spot in the German national team in France this summer.
Instead, he will now face a race against time to recover to play a part in United’s bid to secure Champions League football for next season.
Given his absence for significant periods, Schweinsteiger’s absence will arguably be felt more heavily by his national side.
The veteran midfielder continues to play an important role for Joachim Low, as the Germans look to add the European crown to the World Cup they won in Brazil two years ago.
Nevertheless, it is a tough blow for the player and all concerned as he will now potentially be forced to wait until next season to get back to his best and prove that there is still plenty left in the tank in order to be considered a success at Old Trafford.