Just a few hours after the final whistle, there is sad certainty: Florian Wirtz (18) suffered a cruciate ligament tear in the derby against 1. FC Köln.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen confirmed the serious injury to its midfielder on Sunday evening. Wirtz tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the 0:1 defeat against his former club 1. FC Köln. This was the result of an “immediately performed MRI examination”. The 18-year-old will therefore be out of action for several months.
Wirtz had lost his balance in the 24th minute of the Rhineland derby while dribbling just outside the Cologne penalty area in a duel with FC defender Luca Kilian and twisted his left knee in the process. The offensive player immediately stayed down and hit the ground with his hands in pain. After a long break for treatment, he finally had to be taken off the field on a stretcher and straight to hospital.
For Bayer 04 Leverkusen, the serious injury to the young playmaker is a major setback in the race for Champions League places. In the current season, the 18-year-old has seven goals and ten assists. The German national team will also have to do without the exceptional skills of the attacking player in the coming months.
