Bayer Leverkusen and Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz is set to be sidelined for 'several weeks' with an ankle ligament injury, his club has confirmed. The 21-year-old talented playmaker sustained the injury during Saturday's 2-0 defeat by Werder Bremen.
Wirtz, who had been rested from the start, came on at half-time to replace Emiliano Buendia but lasted just 14 minutes on the pitch before being forced off. The injury occurred during a challenge from Bremen's Mitchell Weiser, after which he was substituted by Alex Grimaldo.
Following the match, Wirtz left the stadium on crutches and was taken to hospital for assessment. Leverkusen have now confirmed through an MRI scan that he has "sustained an injury to the medial ligament in his right ankle" and will be "out for several weeks."
This comes as devastating news for Xabi Alonso's side, who are already facing an uphill battle in their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich. Trailing 3-0 after the first leg in Munich, Leverkusen must now attempt to overturn this deficit on Tuesday without their star midfielder.
Wirtz has been in exceptional form this season, scoring 15 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions for Leverkusen. He has also been impressive at international level, netting three times in five starts for Germany during their Nations League campaign.
The timing couldn't be worse for Leverkusen, who currently sit second in the Bundesliga, eight points behind leaders Bayern Munich. After Tuesday's Champions League encounter, they face a crucial league fixture against Stuttgart five days later.
The young midfielder has been having an outstanding season, arguably playing at an even higher level than last year when Leverkusen won their undefeated Bundesliga and German Cup double. Many believe he is on track to be named the country's Footballer of the Year for a second consecutive time, regardless of this injury setback.
Wirtz's importance to Alonso's system cannot be overstated. While Leverkusen remain a good side without him, his exceptional ball-carrying abilities, playmaking skills, and knack for finding space between opposition lines make them "infinitely more dangerous" with him on the pitch.
This was particularly evident in Leverkusen's most recent encounter with Bayern at the BayArena, a 0-0 draw in February, where Wirtz was the standout performer. His "verve and vitality" posed significant problems for Vincent Kompany's team throughout the match.
With Leverkusen's Bundesliga challenge likely already over and their Champions League hopes now hanging by a thread, this injury to their talisman represents a significant blow to what has otherwise been an impressive campaign.
