Euro 2024: Austria midfielder Schlager to miss Euros with ACL injury

RB Leipzig and Austria midfielder Xaver Schlager will miss this year’s European Championship after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a 1-1 Bundesliga draw at Hoffenheim.

Schlager, 26, was substituted in the 16th minute on Friday after sustaining the injury to his left knee and will be sidelined for several months while he undergoes surgery, the Bundesliga club said.

“The news comes as a shock for us all and especially for Xaver,” Leipzig’s sporting director Rouven Schroder said on Saturday.

“He is a key figure within our team and has been enjoying a strong season so far, one that he was hoping to crown by featuring at Euro 2024.”

Ralf Rangnick’s Austria kicks off its Euro campaign against France on June 17 in Duesseldorf, Germany. Its Group D also includes Poland and the Netherlands.