Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck has been ruled out of the World Cup with an ankle injury, sources told dpa on Monday.
The Borussia Dortmund player is believed to have suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle in the 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Saturday.
The 26-year-old, the only left-footed centre-back in the German squad, is expected to be out for around two months, leaving him unable to play a further part in the tournament.
Real Madrid star Antonio Rüdiger is likely to take Scholtterbeck's place in the starting XI for the final Group C match against Ecuador on Thursday, having replaced Schlotterbeck at half-time in Toronto.
Other centre-backs in the squad include Schlotterbeck’s Dortmund teammate Waldemar Anton and Malick Thiaw, with Germany already assured of top spot in the group after the wins over Curaçao and Ivory Coast.
The injury is the third to hit Germany in recent weeks, with Bayern Munich youngster Lennart Karl having been hurt in training before the first game and his teammate Serge Gnabry also being ruled out before the tournament.
Manager Julian Nagelsmann will be unable to replace Schlotterbeck in the squad, as FIFA rules state that only goalkeepers can be called up during the tournament.
Schlotterbeck suffered the injury with just a quarter of an hour played against Ivory Coast, but remained on the pitch for the entire half after receiving treatment.
Nagelsmann praised the centre-back for his resilience, but said after the game that he was due to receive an MRI.
After rising through the ranks at Freiburg, Schlotterbeck joined Dortmund in 2022 and earned his first cap in the same year.
He has made 29 appearances for Germany, scoring his first goal in the 7-1 win over Curaçao.
