• NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • World Cup
  • Betting
  • SN 140
  • Archive
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • Soccer
  • NCAAF
  • NCAAMB
  • NCAAWB
  • WNBA
  • Boxing
  • MMA
  • WWE
  • F1
  • NASCAR
  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • College
  • High School
  • Darts
  • Horse Racing
  • Olympics
  • More Sports
  • Fantasy
  • Betting
  • Prediction Markets
  • Watch
  • The Scene
  • Tickets
  • Stadium Guides
  • United States [English]
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Brasil
  • Canada
  • India
  • 日本
  • México
  • 대한민국
  • España
  • ไทย
  • United Kingdom
  • United States [Español]
  • Việt Nam

When Liverpool allowed Ibrahima Konate to walk to the Bernabeu at the start of the transfer window following the conclusion of his contract with the Reds, it created a hole in their backline, which was already somewhat fractured by the departure of Andy Robertson to Tottenham Hotspur. This meant that the Merseyside club was going to have to work on finding ample replacements in the Summer transfer window, and they were handed a potential lead when it was revealed that Liverpool was one of the three clubs that could trigger Borussia Dortmund star Nico Schlotterbeck's release clause, with Real Madrid and Barcelona being the other two teams that could do so.

The 26-year-old has been a constant in Dortmund's defensive structure since making the move to the Signal Iduna Park in 2022, having recorded 161 appearances, proving to be a handful on both ends of the pitch, getting involved in 14 goal creations, as well as making 164 interceptions and winning out on 205 tackles.

While he's been a mainstay on the club level, the same could be said on the international level with the German National Team, having been named to the roster for several international tournaments, including the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, the second iteration of the global spectacle that Schlotterbeck has appeared in for his country.

GERMANY WIN IN STOPPAGE TIME THANKS TO DENIZ UNDAV! 😱

(via @TelemundoSports) pic.twitter.com/DjUKqBNuXd— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) June 20, 2026

The Germans have made light work of their group stage matches, beating out Curacao in the opening match, a game that the Dortmund star found himself on the scorer's sheet for, as well as making an appearance during the second match of the tournament against Côte d'Ivoire. This match would prove to be a degree more difficult for the European giants, having had to come back from a goal down at one stage in the game, with Deniz Undav's 94th-minute goal being what secured all three points for Die Mannschaft.

Schlotterbeck's injury

🚨🇩🇪 Nico Schlotterbeck World Cup could be over due to an injury.

“Nico is suspected to have sustained a ligament injury. It's not looking good”, says Julian Nagelsmann. pic.twitter.com/lxN8Jfy7Xy— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 20, 2026

But one of the more pivotal moments in the match saw Schlotterbeck exit the pitch after an attempted tackle on Amad Diallo, with the cause of his departure from the pitch being an ankle injury suffered during the defensive action. While there isn't anything conclusive at this time, it appears that the results aren't looking favorable for the German, as Julian Nagelsmann suspects it to be a ligament injury.

This would be a certain blow for Die Mannschaft, who are on track to make a deep run at the World Cup, given their early results. It also puts a damper on Schlotterbeck's summer, as he has been a big part of Germany's success early on in the tournament, and has the skill to lead their back line.

If the Dortmund star is to have his tournament ended early, he'd be the second German player to get injured, as Lennart Karl was swapped out prior to the start of the World Cup due to a torn muscle sustained during training.

Declan Harris

Declan Harris is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He graduated from Temple University's Klein College of Media and Communication in 2023 and has written for On SI, CityXtra and Newsweek.

Source: Sporting News