Three days after Julian Draxler had to exit Schalke 04's Bundesliga match against Augsburg with an early injury, the club have confirmed their star attacking midfielder has suffered a torn thigh muscle. The club said Draxler will undergo surgery Monday and he'll be out of action for the rest of 2014. They didn't say whether he was expected to return immediately after the winter break or if he might be out for part of 2015 as well.
Julian Draxler out through winter break with thigh injury
Midfielder set to undergo surgery Monday.
Lars Baron
Draxler has been first choice when fit for Schalke this season, but his role has changed slightly. Instead of acting as Schalke’s central playmaker, he’s often played to the left of Max Meyer as the teenage star has grown into a first-team role. They’ve often struggled to play together, and hadn’t won a Bundesliga match they both started until Friday, when Draxler was substituted for a true winger -- Chinedu Obasi -- in the 4th minute.
If there’s one place Schalke actually has adequate depth, it’s at attacking midfield and wide positions, so they shouldn’t fall apart without Draxler. Still, they’d probably prefer to have the player who was universally regarded as their biggest star before this season.
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